Like it or not, we may have to submit to the intrusion of big data because of the coronavirus.
South Korea is at the cutting edge of how this could work in a democracy. Tracking down patient zeros — the first documented cases — and the ones who follow is becoming critical to containment and public safety. There won't be a cure or vaccine anytime soon. The global number of cases is nearing 100,000. South Korea has the largest outbreak outside China, with over 6,000 cases. The surge has largely been contained to the city where it erupted, Daegu, around a religious cult.
Central to South Korea's approach has been the extensive collection and effective use of data as a public good — in this case, disease surveillance and testing. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's daily reporting details patients affected and being tested, connections between them and what provinces they're in. It includes fatality rates by age and gender. Health authorities posted a detailed log of patients' whereabouts prior to confirmation of infection. Their names weren't given, but they were numbered. People were informed that this personal information was being collected and publicized. They didn't have a choice.