5 years ago

Hackathon Aims to Fight COVID-19 Without Surveillance

  • Amidst the global fight against COVID-19, Dataswift, a Cambridge-based startup, is organizing a hackathon to develop technology solutions that address the pandemic without compromising privacy

  • The event, which will take place on April 4-5, aims to bring together developers, medics, and engineers to create around 25 apps or solutions

  • The hackathon emphasizes citizen science and volunteer-driven data contributions while protecting personal privacy, particularly in the context of widespread surveillance measures being implemented in some countries

  • The initiative seeks to find a balance between public health concerns and individual data rights.

      • ProblemTechnology

      "The world is facing a crisis on a scale and depth we have not seen since the second world war, but people are feeling disempowered, sitting at home. People want to help fight the pandemic, but don't want to sacrifice their privacy. Existing solutions rely on invasive surveillance to fight the spread of Covid-19, but people don't trust those solutions. "

      Solution

      "Creating apps and solutions that enable people to volunteer their own health information and mobilise volunteers — but do so in a way that doesn’t compromise privacy."

      Covered on