每當(dāng)塔塔鋼鐵公司在英國(guó)的工人或比利時(shí)安特衛(wèi)普港的碼頭工人與他人之間的距離小于病毒感染范圍時(shí),“Romware Covid Radius手環(huán)”就會(huì)發(fā)出蜂鳴聲。在法國(guó)布依格集團(tuán)的建筑工地以及賽諾菲和施耐德電氣的辦公室,員工經(jīng)熱像儀檢測(cè)其體溫后方可進(jìn)入。西班牙和法國(guó)的購(gòu)物中心及交通樞紐將采用隱形激光對(duì)人群進(jìn)行管理,一些公司將使用掛繩式感染追蹤設(shè)備。
隨著歐洲人重返工作崗位,他們進(jìn)入了一個(gè)與停工之前截然不同的世界。從銀行和辦公室到電子商務(wù)倉(cāng)庫(kù)、工廠、體育俱樂(lè)部和機(jī)場(chǎng),形形色色的工作場(chǎng)所都在試用或安裝檢測(cè)發(fā)熱的熱像儀、口罩檢測(cè)系統(tǒng)以及跟蹤軟件,以防已經(jīng)在歐洲地區(qū)導(dǎo)致超過(guò)16.7萬(wàn)人死亡的新冠病毒卷土重來(lái)。
該病毒為監(jiān)視監(jiān)控技術(shù)打開(kāi)了大門,許多人因此擔(dān)心這類技術(shù)將會(huì)長(zhǎng)期存在。雖然此類系統(tǒng)已經(jīng)悄然出現(xiàn)在全球各地人們的生活中,特別是在亞洲——例如韓國(guó)的侵入式感染追蹤軟件,但是這種趨勢(shì)與歐洲推崇的隱私文化背道而馳。為了安全而在隱私方面做出讓步的歐洲人可能無(wú)法接受長(zhǎng)期采取這種做法的后果。
“使用大規(guī)模監(jiān)視基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致這些極具侵入性的工具變得常規(guī)化。從長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)來(lái)看,倉(cāng)促引入應(yīng)用、設(shè)備和攝像頭將會(huì)瓦解雇主與雇員之間的信任?!被ヂ?lián)網(wǎng)權(quán)利組織Edri的研究人員艾拉?亞庫(kù)波夫斯卡說(shuō)道。
企業(yè)則在確保人員安全與保護(hù)他們的隱私之間左右為難??莆念D?柏靈律師事務(wù)所的一位合伙人丹尼爾?庫(kù)珀負(fù)責(zé)為客戶提供技術(shù)法規(guī)方面的建議,他指出:由于歐洲監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)沒(méi)有給出明確的指導(dǎo)意見(jiàn),許多企業(yè)被迫做出“極其艱難的決定”——它們?nèi)绻荒艹浞直Wo(hù)員工,可能也會(huì)陷入困境。
“曝光企業(yè)收集這方面信息的事件有所增加,因?yàn)榇祟愋畔⒎浅C舾??!睅?kù)珀說(shuō)道,“此外,企業(yè)還必須對(duì)其數(shù)據(jù)收集對(duì)象的隱私權(quán)進(jìn)行恰當(dāng)?shù)钠胶獠⒈苊庥|犯法律?!?
根據(jù)稅務(wù)及咨詢公司普華永道本月發(fā)布的一項(xiàng)研究,全球約有23%接受調(diào)查的公司正在考慮在恢復(fù)現(xiàn)場(chǎng)辦公的過(guò)渡期內(nèi)采取工作場(chǎng)所追蹤或接觸追蹤措施。普華永道正在其上海辦公室測(cè)試自己的接觸追蹤工具。
“隨著封鎖解除,采取接觸追蹤措施可能會(huì)增加一個(gè)有關(guān)我們的去向和所做事情的全新數(shù)據(jù)層面?!庇?guó)Trade Union Prospect的研究總監(jiān)安德魯?派克斯在上周二發(fā)布的一篇博客文章中寫道,“未來(lái)多個(gè)季度內(nèi)令人擔(dān)心的問(wèn)題是,我們可能會(huì)在得不到適當(dāng)保護(hù)的情況下受到進(jìn)一步的監(jiān)視?!?
此類監(jiān)控技術(shù)的提供者號(hào)稱這是一種安全的方式,有助于讓人們重返工作崗位并重振因封鎖而深受打擊的經(jīng)濟(jì)。雖然許多人承認(rèn)此類系統(tǒng)并非萬(wàn)無(wú)一失,但他們表示,它們可以有效控制感染風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。
“我們的手環(huán)是一種能夠確保員工安全并提高績(jī)效的工具?!北壤麜r(shí)公司Rombit的首席執(zhí)行官約翰?貝克爾曼斯說(shuō)道。該公司生產(chǎn)的手環(huán)將于6月添加追蹤功能,使安特衛(wèi)普港的醫(yī)生可以對(duì)可能發(fā)生的病毒傳播進(jìn)行追蹤。
Rombit認(rèn)為,隨著企業(yè)使用這種手環(huán)來(lái)追蹤員工的健康狀況與績(jī)效,該設(shè)備在疫情結(jié)束后也將持續(xù)發(fā)揮作用。該公司表示將在未來(lái)幾周內(nèi)向300家公司提供這種設(shè)備。
與Rombit一樣,位于波蘭克拉科夫的Estimote公司也在向工廠、研究中心和醫(yī)院銷售社交隔離設(shè)備,該設(shè)備也能追蹤任何受感染職員發(fā)生的接觸。
當(dāng)員工與同事接近的時(shí)間過(guò)長(zhǎng)時(shí),掛繩上的設(shè)備就會(huì)發(fā)出蜂鳴聲。出現(xiàn)癥狀或檢測(cè)結(jié)果呈陽(yáng)性的員工只需按一下該設(shè)備上的按鈕即可通知公司,讓公司能夠追蹤與其接觸過(guò)的所有人員。
Estimote的首席執(zhí)行官賈科布?克茲奇說(shuō)道:“與人接近是寫在我們基因中的本能。”他補(bǔ)充稱,該設(shè)備會(huì)提醒用戶養(yǎng)成保持社交距離的習(xí)慣,從而有效控制病毒傳播。
巴塞羅那的Herta Security公司正在開(kāi)發(fā)用于在工作場(chǎng)所實(shí)現(xiàn)無(wú)接觸式門禁管理的口罩檢測(cè)技術(shù)和面部識(shí)別技術(shù)。據(jù)Herta的首席營(yíng)銷官勞拉?布蘭科?佩德雷加爾稱,有一家全球零售公司正在考慮在其歐洲和拉丁美洲辦事處采用Herta開(kāi)發(fā)的此類技術(shù)。
總部位于巴黎的初創(chuàng)公司Outsight的總裁兼聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人勞爾?布拉沃表示,西班牙、法國(guó)、以色列和美國(guó)的大型購(gòu)物中心和主要交通樞紐將會(huì)采用該公司的激光技術(shù)來(lái)確保社交距離。負(fù)責(zé)管理法國(guó)首都各機(jī)場(chǎng)的巴黎機(jī)場(chǎng)公司正在測(cè)試用Outsight激光器監(jiān)控旅客流量。
檢測(cè)發(fā)熱的熱像儀也開(kāi)始得到廣泛普及。在馬德里,卡米洛?何塞?塞拉大學(xué)安裝了一套攝像系統(tǒng),該系統(tǒng)能夠同時(shí)測(cè)量學(xué)生的體溫并檢查他們是否佩戴了口罩。倫敦希思羅機(jī)場(chǎng)和巴黎戴高樂(lè)機(jī)場(chǎng)等多家機(jī)場(chǎng)都在測(cè)試熱像儀。
“我們的熱像儀銷量每周在增加?!钡聡?guó)生物識(shí)別技術(shù)公司Dermalog Identification Systems GmbH的首席執(zhí)行官岡薩?穆?tīng)栒f(shuō)道,“目前的市場(chǎng)需求非常大?!痹摴緸槠滠浖黾恿丝谡謾z測(cè)功能。
此類設(shè)備引起了隱私權(quán)倡導(dǎo)者的高度警惕。非營(yíng)利智庫(kù)“未來(lái)隱私論壇”歐洲區(qū)總經(jīng)理羅布?范?埃克指出,熱像儀可被視為侵犯隱私權(quán)。
“它會(huì)迫使體溫相對(duì)較高的人在很可能違背其意愿的情況下,披露或泄露可能與新型冠狀病毒肺炎或其它呼吸道病毒感染無(wú)關(guān)的個(gè)人健康信息?!彼f(shuō)道。
在歐洲,違反數(shù)據(jù)保護(hù)法可能會(huì)招致高達(dá)全球年收入4%的罰款,企業(yè)通常不會(huì)將體溫讀數(shù)與姓名關(guān)聯(lián)或存儲(chǔ)該信息。盡管如此,科文頓?柏靈律師事務(wù)所的庫(kù)珀指出,通過(guò)發(fā)熱讀數(shù)追溯到個(gè)人并非難事。
就目前來(lái)看,人們對(duì)于體溫檢測(cè)能夠泰然處之,其中包括德國(guó)足球俱樂(lè)部拜耳04勒沃庫(kù)森的員工。該俱樂(lè)部投資購(gòu)置了5臺(tái)Dermalog熱像儀。上周末德甲成為恢復(fù)比賽的首個(gè)主要足球聯(lián)賽時(shí),該俱樂(lè)部已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備就緒。球員進(jìn)場(chǎng)訓(xùn)練時(shí),會(huì)接受熱像儀的掃描。
4月下旬,德國(guó)大部分地區(qū)都在實(shí)施居家避疫政策,職業(yè)足球運(yùn)動(dòng)員萊昂?貝利站在俱樂(lè)部訓(xùn)練場(chǎng)入口測(cè)量體溫。攝像頭瞄準(zhǔn)他的額頭,讀數(shù)為37攝氏度,說(shuō)明他沒(méi)有發(fā)燒。他穿過(guò)體育場(chǎng)的大門,與隊(duì)友一起進(jìn)行練習(xí)。
“他們認(rèn)為這樣做是為了自己的安全?!卑荻瘴謳?kù)森俱樂(lè)部的醫(yī)療總監(jiān)卡爾-海因里希?迪特馬爾博士在接受采訪時(shí)說(shuō)道,“誰(shuí)也不想生病。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
作者:Helene Fouquet, Natalia Drozdiak, 彭博社
譯者:Shog
每當(dāng)塔塔鋼鐵公司在英國(guó)的工人或比利時(shí)安特衛(wèi)普港的碼頭工人與他人之間的距離小于病毒感染范圍時(shí),“Romware Covid Radius手環(huán)”就會(huì)發(fā)出蜂鳴聲。在法國(guó)布依格集團(tuán)的建筑工地以及賽諾菲和施耐德電氣的辦公室,員工經(jīng)熱像儀檢測(cè)其體溫后方可進(jìn)入。西班牙和法國(guó)的購(gòu)物中心及交通樞紐將采用隱形激光對(duì)人群進(jìn)行管理,一些公司將使用掛繩式感染追蹤設(shè)備。
隨著歐洲人重返工作崗位,他們進(jìn)入了一個(gè)與停工之前截然不同的世界。從銀行和辦公室到電子商務(wù)倉(cāng)庫(kù)、工廠、體育俱樂(lè)部和機(jī)場(chǎng),形形色色的工作場(chǎng)所都在試用或安裝檢測(cè)發(fā)熱的熱像儀、口罩檢測(cè)系統(tǒng)以及跟蹤軟件,以防已經(jīng)在歐洲地區(qū)導(dǎo)致超過(guò)16.7萬(wàn)人死亡的新冠病毒卷土重來(lái)。
該病毒為監(jiān)視監(jiān)控技術(shù)打開(kāi)了大門,許多人因此擔(dān)心這類技術(shù)將會(huì)長(zhǎng)期存在。雖然此類系統(tǒng)已經(jīng)悄然出現(xiàn)在全球各地人們的生活中,特別是在亞洲——例如韓國(guó)的侵入式感染追蹤軟件,但是這種趨勢(shì)與歐洲推崇的隱私文化背道而馳。為了安全而在隱私方面做出讓步的歐洲人可能無(wú)法接受長(zhǎng)期采取這種做法的后果。
“使用大規(guī)模監(jiān)視基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致這些極具侵入性的工具變得常規(guī)化。從長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)來(lái)看,倉(cāng)促引入應(yīng)用、設(shè)備和攝像頭將會(huì)瓦解雇主與雇員之間的信任。”互聯(lián)網(wǎng)權(quán)利組織Edri的研究人員艾拉?亞庫(kù)波夫斯卡說(shuō)道。
企業(yè)則在確保人員安全與保護(hù)他們的隱私之間左右為難。科文頓?柏靈律師事務(wù)所的一位合伙人丹尼爾?庫(kù)珀負(fù)責(zé)為客戶提供技術(shù)法規(guī)方面的建議,他指出:由于歐洲監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)沒(méi)有給出明確的指導(dǎo)意見(jiàn),許多企業(yè)被迫做出“極其艱難的決定”——它們?nèi)绻荒艹浞直Wo(hù)員工,可能也會(huì)陷入困境。
“曝光企業(yè)收集這方面信息的事件有所增加,因?yàn)榇祟愋畔⒎浅C舾??!睅?kù)珀說(shuō)道,“此外,企業(yè)還必須對(duì)其數(shù)據(jù)收集對(duì)象的隱私權(quán)進(jìn)行恰當(dāng)?shù)钠胶獠⒈苊庥|犯法律?!?
根據(jù)稅務(wù)及咨詢公司普華永道本月發(fā)布的一項(xiàng)研究,全球約有23%接受調(diào)查的公司正在考慮在恢復(fù)現(xiàn)場(chǎng)辦公的過(guò)渡期內(nèi)采取工作場(chǎng)所追蹤或接觸追蹤措施。普華永道正在其上海辦公室測(cè)試自己的接觸追蹤工具。
“隨著封鎖解除,采取接觸追蹤措施可能會(huì)增加一個(gè)有關(guān)我們的去向和所做事情的全新數(shù)據(jù)層面?!庇?guó)Trade Union Prospect的研究總監(jiān)安德魯?派克斯在上周二發(fā)布的一篇博客文章中寫道,“未來(lái)多個(gè)季度內(nèi)令人擔(dān)心的問(wèn)題是,我們可能會(huì)在得不到適當(dāng)保護(hù)的情況下受到進(jìn)一步的監(jiān)視。”
此類監(jiān)控技術(shù)的提供者號(hào)稱這是一種安全的方式,有助于讓人們重返工作崗位并重振因封鎖而深受打擊的經(jīng)濟(jì)。雖然許多人承認(rèn)此類系統(tǒng)并非萬(wàn)無(wú)一失,但他們表示,它們可以有效控制感染風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。
“我們的手環(huán)是一種能夠確保員工安全并提高績(jī)效的工具。”比利時(shí)公司Rombit的首席執(zhí)行官約翰?貝克爾曼斯說(shuō)道。該公司生產(chǎn)的手環(huán)將于6月添加追蹤功能,使安特衛(wèi)普港的醫(yī)生可以對(duì)可能發(fā)生的病毒傳播進(jìn)行追蹤。
Rombit認(rèn)為,隨著企業(yè)使用這種手環(huán)來(lái)追蹤員工的健康狀況與績(jī)效,該設(shè)備在疫情結(jié)束后也將持續(xù)發(fā)揮作用。該公司表示將在未來(lái)幾周內(nèi)向300家公司提供這種設(shè)備。
與Rombit一樣,位于波蘭克拉科夫的Estimote公司也在向工廠、研究中心和醫(yī)院銷售社交隔離設(shè)備,該設(shè)備也能追蹤任何受感染職員發(fā)生的接觸。
當(dāng)員工與同事接近的時(shí)間過(guò)長(zhǎng)時(shí),掛繩上的設(shè)備就會(huì)發(fā)出蜂鳴聲。出現(xiàn)癥狀或檢測(cè)結(jié)果呈陽(yáng)性的員工只需按一下該設(shè)備上的按鈕即可通知公司,讓公司能夠追蹤與其接觸過(guò)的所有人員。
Estimote的首席執(zhí)行官賈科布?克茲奇說(shuō)道:“與人接近是寫在我們基因中的本能?!彼a(bǔ)充稱,該設(shè)備會(huì)提醒用戶養(yǎng)成保持社交距離的習(xí)慣,從而有效控制病毒傳播。
巴塞羅那的Herta Security公司正在開(kāi)發(fā)用于在工作場(chǎng)所實(shí)現(xiàn)無(wú)接觸式門禁管理的口罩檢測(cè)技術(shù)和面部識(shí)別技術(shù)。據(jù)Herta的首席營(yíng)銷官勞拉?布蘭科?佩德雷加爾稱,有一家全球零售公司正在考慮在其歐洲和拉丁美洲辦事處采用Herta開(kāi)發(fā)的此類技術(shù)。
總部位于巴黎的初創(chuàng)公司Outsight的總裁兼聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人勞爾?布拉沃表示,西班牙、法國(guó)、以色列和美國(guó)的大型購(gòu)物中心和主要交通樞紐將會(huì)采用該公司的激光技術(shù)來(lái)確保社交距離。負(fù)責(zé)管理法國(guó)首都各機(jī)場(chǎng)的巴黎機(jī)場(chǎng)公司正在測(cè)試用Outsight激光器監(jiān)控旅客流量。
檢測(cè)發(fā)熱的熱像儀也開(kāi)始得到廣泛普及。在馬德里,卡米洛?何塞?塞拉大學(xué)安裝了一套攝像系統(tǒng),該系統(tǒng)能夠同時(shí)測(cè)量學(xué)生的體溫并檢查他們是否佩戴了口罩。倫敦希思羅機(jī)場(chǎng)和巴黎戴高樂(lè)機(jī)場(chǎng)等多家機(jī)場(chǎng)都在測(cè)試熱像儀。
“我們的熱像儀銷量每周在增加。”德國(guó)生物識(shí)別技術(shù)公司Dermalog Identification Systems GmbH的首席執(zhí)行官岡薩?穆?tīng)栒f(shuō)道,“目前的市場(chǎng)需求非常大?!痹摴緸槠滠浖黾恿丝谡謾z測(cè)功能。
此類設(shè)備引起了隱私權(quán)倡導(dǎo)者的高度警惕。非營(yíng)利智庫(kù)“未來(lái)隱私論壇”歐洲區(qū)總經(jīng)理羅布?范?埃克指出,熱像儀可被視為侵犯隱私權(quán)。
“它會(huì)迫使體溫相對(duì)較高的人在很可能違背其意愿的情況下,披露或泄露可能與新型冠狀病毒肺炎或其它呼吸道病毒感染無(wú)關(guān)的個(gè)人健康信息?!彼f(shuō)道。
在歐洲,違反數(shù)據(jù)保護(hù)法可能會(huì)招致高達(dá)全球年收入4%的罰款,企業(yè)通常不會(huì)將體溫讀數(shù)與姓名關(guān)聯(lián)或存儲(chǔ)該信息。盡管如此,科文頓?柏靈律師事務(wù)所的庫(kù)珀指出,通過(guò)發(fā)熱讀數(shù)追溯到個(gè)人并非難事。
就目前來(lái)看,人們對(duì)于體溫檢測(cè)能夠泰然處之,其中包括德國(guó)足球俱樂(lè)部拜耳04勒沃庫(kù)森的員工。該俱樂(lè)部投資購(gòu)置了5臺(tái)Dermalog熱像儀。上周末德甲成為恢復(fù)比賽的首個(gè)主要足球聯(lián)賽時(shí),該俱樂(lè)部已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備就緒。球員進(jìn)場(chǎng)訓(xùn)練時(shí),會(huì)接受熱像儀的掃描。
4月下旬,德國(guó)大部分地區(qū)都在實(shí)施居家避疫政策,職業(yè)足球運(yùn)動(dòng)員萊昂?貝利站在俱樂(lè)部訓(xùn)練場(chǎng)入口測(cè)量體溫。攝像頭瞄準(zhǔn)他的額頭,讀數(shù)為37攝氏度,說(shuō)明他沒(méi)有發(fā)燒。他穿過(guò)體育場(chǎng)的大門,與隊(duì)友一起進(jìn)行練習(xí)。
“他們認(rèn)為這樣做是為了自己的安全?!卑荻瘴謳?kù)森俱樂(lè)部的醫(yī)療總監(jiān)卡爾-海因里希?迪特馬爾博士在接受采訪時(shí)說(shuō)道,“誰(shuí)也不想生病?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
作者:Helene Fouquet, Natalia Drozdiak, 彭博社
譯者:Shog
A “Romware Covid Radius bracelet” beeps every time a Tata Steel Ltd. worker in the U.K. or a docker at Belgium’s Antwerp port is within virus-catching distance of someone. At Bouygues SA construction sites and in Sanofi and Schneider Electric SE offices in France employees enter after thermal cameras check their temperatures. Invisible lasers will manage crowds at shopping malls and transport hubs in Spain and France, and some firms will use infection-tracing lanyard devices.
As Europeans head back to work, they’re entering a world very different from the one they left. Workplaces from banks and offices to e-commerce warehouses, factories, sports clubs and airports are trying out or installing fever-testing thermal cameras, mask-detection systems and tracking software to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus that has claimed more than 167,000 lives in the region.
The virus has opened the doors to surveillance and monitoring technologies that many fear are here to stay. While such systems have been creeping into people’s lives across the globe -- particularly in Asia, with South Korea’s invasive infection-tracking software -- the trend runs up against Europe’s much-vaunted privacy culture. Europeans trading in privacy for safety now may find the longer-term consequences unacceptable.
“The use of mass surveillance infrastructures can lead to a normalization of these highly intrusive tools, and the hasty introduction of apps, devices and cameras will, in the long term, lead to a dissolution of trust between employers and employees,” said Ella Jakubowska, a researcher at internet rights association Edri.
Businesses are walking a fine line between keeping people safe and protecting their privacy. The absence of clear guidance from European regulators is forcing companies -- who could also be on the hook if they don’t sufficiently protect workers -- to make “extremely difficult decisions,” according to Daniel Cooper, a partner at law firm Covington and Burling, who advises clients on tech regulation.
“The exposure of companies collecting that information goes up because it’s sensitive,” Cooper said. “They also have to balance the privacy rights of the people whose data they’re collecting and get that balance right and not break the law.”
About 23% of companies surveyed globally are considering workplace tracking or contact tracing to transition back to on-site work, according to a study published this month by tax and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, which is testing its own contact tracing tool in its Shanghai office.
“As lockdown is lifted, the turn to contact tracing may add a whole new layer of data being accumulated about where we go and what we do,” Andrew Pakes, research director at U.K. Trade union Prospect, wrote in a blog post last Tuesday, adding that “the worry in many quarters is that we could be sleepwalking into further surveillance without safeguards in place.”
Providers of such monitoring technologies tout them as a safe way to get people back to work and revive economies crushed by lockdowns. While many acknowledge the systems aren’t foolproof, they say infection risk can be capped.
“Our bracelets are tools to keep workers safe and to increase performance,” said John Baekelmans, the chief executive officer of Rombit, the Belgian company whose bracelets will add a tracing feature in June to allow Antwerp port doctors to keep track of a possible spread in the virus.
Rombit sees the bracelets outlasting the virus as companies use them to track employees’ health and performance. The company says it will supply such devices to 300 companies in the coming weeks.
Like Rombit, Krakow, Poland-based Estimote Inc. is selling social-distancing devices to factories, research centers and hospitals, which also let them trace contacts made by any infected staffer.
The devices, attached to lanyards, buzz when workers have spent too much time near a colleague. Employees developing symptoms or testing positive can press a button on the gadget to notify the company, allowing it to trace all the people they’ve been in contact with.
“It’s in our DNA to come close” to other people, said Estimote CEO Jakub Krzych, adding that the devices alert users to those habits, keeping the spread of the virus in check.
Herta Security in Barcelona is developing both mask-detection technology and facial recognition for touch-less access in workplaces, including for a global retail company that’s considering using it in its offices in Europe and Latin America, according to Laura Blanc Pedregal, Herta’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Shopping malls and major transport hubs in Spain, France, Israel and the U.S. will be using Paris-based Outsight’s laser technology to ensure social distancing, its president and co-founder Raul Bravo said. Aeroports de Paris, which manages the French capital’s airports, is testing Outsight lasers to monitor passenger flows.
Fever-checking thermal cameras are also starting to become ubiquitous. In Madrid, University Camilo Jose Cela is setting up a camera system that simultaneously measures students’ temperatures and checks if they’re wearing masks. Airports including London’s Heathrow and Paris’s Charles de Gaulle are testing thermal cameras.
“We sell more cameras every week,” said Guenther Mull, CEO of German biometrics company Dermalog Identification Systems GmbH, which offers mask detection as an add-on to its software. “The demand is currently very high.”
Privacy advocates are alarmed. Thermal cameras could be seen as an invasion of privacy, said Rob van Eijk, managing director for Europe at the Future of Privacy Forum, a nonprofit think tank.
“It would pressure individuals with relatively higher body temperatures to disclose or divulge, likely against their will, their personal health information that might be unrelated to Covid-19 or other respiratory viral infections,” he said.
In Europe, where breaching data protection laws can result in a fine of as much as 4% of annual global revenue, companies typically wouldn’t link temperature readings to names or store the information. Still, fever readings wouldn’t be difficult to trace back to an individual, said Covington and Burling’s Cooper.
For now, the checks are being taken in stride. Consider the employees of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the German soccer club, which invested in five Dermalog thermal cameras. When the Bundesliga became the first major soccer league to resume playing last weekend, the club was ready. It had been scanning its players when they came in for training.
In late April, while much of Germany was sheltering in place, professional soccer player Leon Bailey stood at the entrance of the club’s training facilities to have his temperature taken. The camera zeroed in on his forehead to read a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. No fever. He passed through the arena’s gates and joined his teammates for practice.
“They see it’s for their own safety,” said Dr. Karl-Heinrich Dittmar, Bayer Leverkusen’s medical director, in an interview. “Nobody wants to become ill.”