This would make it possible to observe and then predict population movements and thus the spread of the virus. 

After China and Israel, now it's the turn of the United States? The White House is in active discussions with the country's technology companies to set up a generalized system for locating smartphones. 

The general principle is to anonymously collect this geographic data to first determine where the population is located and analyze its movements. This would then make it possible to predict its future movements, regroupings and thus the spread of the virus throughout the United States. 

A feature already used in Google Maps

The system is finally not so far from what Google already offers in Maps. Its mapping service actually displays the attendance of places (museums, bars, shops) in real time and the forecast of their attendance according to the hours. 

In addition to the public health measures that would be taken based on this information, the White House believes it could also help the search. Epidemiologists would benefit from analyses of the particular contagion processes of this coronavirus. 

At the moment, nothing has been decided by the US government and everything is still under discussion, not only the technical side of the system, but also the legal side. Even with anonymised data, the public's reaction to such a measure, which is so contrary to individual freedoms, could be hostile. 

Source: 01net.com