If a a cell phone comes in close contact with someone who might have a virus, the user receives a text message with instructions to self-quarantine for 14 days. US whistleblower Edward Snowden says: "Do you truly believe that when the first wave, this second wave, the 16th wave of the coronavirus is a long-forgotten memory that these capabilities will not be kept?" He also says such emergencies never end, and authoritarian policies become normalized.

Apple and Google announced they were teaming up to develop compatible contact tracing apps, which they say will be offered on an "opt-in" basis. However, Bloomberg reported that the companies are planning eventually to build the feature into all updates. Ranking on these apps could be used to allow entry into grocery stores or larger businesses and events. Snowden says the apps will be used to automate decisions about who gets a job, a loan, who can go to school, who gets a home, and who does not get those things. -GEG