As COVID-19 worsens, though, expect to see a greater willingness to trade privacy for effective health surveillance, just as 9/11 led to a tightening of security around airports and other public spaces.

„A situation like the pandemic creates a fundamental shift in how people react to technology. This is the direction we are going to be moving in.“

— Labhesh Patel, chief technology officer at Jumio, an ID verification company

The bottom line: We‘ve already given up so much in the fight against COVID-19. Some elements of personal privacy may be the next to go — and don‘t expect the surveillance to end when the pandemic does.