The Armenian National Assembly is considering legislation that would allow the authorities to use cell phone data to track the contacts of coronavirus patients. The draft has been tabled by the government.
The amendments envisage restrictions to the right to privacy and family life, freedom and privacy of communication under the state of emergency.
Should the draft pass, in case of a state of emergency caused by an epidemic, the operators of the public electronic communications networks shall be obliged to provide information on customer location and phone calls to the authorities and state-established legal entities (data processors).
Data processors will also be authorized to require information from health authorities on infected patients, persons with symptoms of illness, patients being treated and their contacts, inducing medical confidential data.
Data processing shall be carried out only until the end of the state of emergency. Personalized data shall be destroyed after the state of emergency is over.
The data provided and processed may be transmitted only to the bodies provided for by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Armenia.
