Coronavirus accelerates China’s big data collection but privacy concerns remain

Greater data collection has helped prevent the virus from spreading in China because it enables precise reporting of hotspots. The rush to scoop up even more data to fight the outbreak has led to privacy breaches, especially for residents in the epicentre of Wuhan. — SCMP

China’s transformation into a digital economy was already well underway before the coronavirus outbreak, driven by its massive adoption of internet-based technologies, mobile apps and artificial intelligence applications.

This digitisation of everyday life has created massive amounts of quantifiable data, from Internet search and shopping habits to diet and health requirements. Now the deadly outbreak, which has killed more than 2,700 people globally, has accelerated the trend.