EU Commission states that EU data protection rules must remain “global gold standard” in response to COVID-19

According to Euractiv, the European Commission said in a video call with EU-27 health ministers that EU data protection rules  must remain a “global gold standard” in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Health European Commissioner Stella Kyriakides stressed that “these rules are a global gold standard, and they are also flexible enough to allow us to make use of digital technologies in our response to the pandemic while protecting fundamental rights and freedoms.” Kyriakides also urged ministers to follow its recommendations on a common Union toolbox for the use of technology and data to combat and exit from the COVID-19 crisis, in particular concerning mobile applications and the use of anonymised mobility data, as it sets the foundations for a pan-European approach.