The Ethics of Location Tracking During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Building Awareness and Consensus

Abstract

This article highlights the relatively limited but growing discussion surrounding ethical guidelines for the use of location tracking technology. After a review of recent literature related to location data and geoprivacy, this article is divided into two sections: The first highlights views of public officials and location tracking experts over the potential misuse of location data, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data come from available transcripts of the Location Tech Task Force organized in 2020 by the American Geographical Society as part of its EthicalGEO initiative. The second section documents various institutional approaches to elevate the dialogue and inform governance of location-based data and technology, including the development of the Locus Charter, an emerging international framework on the ethical use of location data. In conclusion, we urge the professional and academic geographic communities to engage with the elaboration and dissemination of ethical frameworks to guide the use and management of data from location tracking technology.