Google Has Released Location Data to Prevent The Virus

Google Has Released Location Data to Prevent The Virus

AlphaBet Ink's website Google has published charts that show how the Corona virus hit Italy and made life stagnant there.

According to a report published in the Dawn newspaper, the location data analysis of Google users' phones is by far the largest available public data aimed at helping authorities assess whether the public is confined to homes and protected from viruses. Other actions are followed.

The company released a report on shopping and leisure activities, trains and buses, home goods shops and workplace traffic, including charts, from 5 weeks to 16th March to 29th in 131 countries.

Google says it publishes the report to avoid concerns about what content is being provided to authorities, but it needs to balance privacy with the need to prevent future outbreaks in relation to location tracking. Global discussions have begun.

Italy and Spain, two of the countries most affected by the virus, have seen a 94% drop in the number of people visiting shops and leisure venues such as restaurants and cinemas in both countries.

On the other hand, the decline was 80% in the UK, France and the Philippines.

Social distance measures in the United States and Australia saw a 50% drop in people arrivals at such locations.

Read more: 11 great movies that make the world go on
In contrast, in Sweden and Japan, where authorities did not impose strict restrictions, arrivals at shops and leisure sites decreased by only a quarter.

Similarly, South Korea, which has successfully overcome the outbreak by aggressively testing and detecting virus contacts, saw a decrease of only 19%.

The data also describes the challenges that the authorities are facing to keep the public afloat.

On the other hand, there has been an increase in the influx of people to domestic goods stores in Singapore, the UK and other places where travel is now banned.

ALSO READ: Apple's new cheaper iPhone likely to be introduced on April 15

Meanwhile, parks in some of the San Francisco Bay Area counties during the lockdown in California saw an influx of people.

Private life balance

The data included in the Google report was obtained with the help of Google's 'Location History' feature on mobile phones.

The company said it took technical measures to ensure that no person was identified with the reports.

'The report is designed to be helpful in keeping with privacy protocols and policies,' said Google Chief Health Officer Dr. Karen de Salvo.

Infectious disease experts say analyzing travel, income and other data for people of different ages helps make announcements to the public.