Joint statement of leading UK academics expressing privacy concerns regarding upcoming COVID-19 app

A number of UK computer security and privacy experts have signed an open letter expressing their concerns about plans by the UK’s NHSX to deploy a contact tracing application. The statement signals that usual data protection principles should apply, by collecting the minimum data necessary to achieve the objective of the application. According to TechCrunch, the statement follows a similar letter earlier this month signed by around 300 academics from across the world, urging caution over the use of such tools and called for governments that choose to deploy digital contacts tracing to use privacy-preserving techniques and systems.