[thymolu]

Is it reasonable to track everyone's detailed location during a pandemic though? What purpose does it serve in the absence of good molecular testing info, which would be an even grosser violation of privacy?

General levels of social distancing can be gleaned without phone location info. All you need to do is have police drive around and look.

The problem with requests like this, for detailed phone data, is that everyone can imagine vague benefits in the abstract, and wants to be helpful, so you're more willing to cede protections of privacy (which are ultimately protections of liberty). But those vague abstract benefits don't necessarily translate into actual benefits if you think it through.

I don't see anything necessary about phone surveillance at this time whatsoever. What is necessary is mass testing.

[tempestn]

It's very helpful, because as soon as someone has symptoms or tests positive, you automatically know everyone they've come into contact or close proximity with, and can have those people isolate. You can also better determine whom to test, since there is nowhere near the testing infrastructure to blanket test everywhere.

In China they also have an app where anyone can see locations where an infected person has been, and how recently, both so they can avoid those places, but also so they can feel more confident being out in society otherwise (in areas without significant current outbreaks). This video demonstrates how it works in one Chinese city: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=YfsdJGj3-jM&...

I agree with many of the problems pointed out, but it does appear that the benefits during the pandemic would be significant.