//Minnesota law enforcement isn’t “contact tracing” protesters, despite an official’s comment

Minnesota law enforcement isn’t “contact tracing” protesters, despite an official’s comment

A Minnesota state official raised fears when he suggested that police were using Covid-like “contact tracing” to track protesters. | Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images

The appropriation of the term could undermine public health efforts.

“Contact tracing” has become the term du jour in the coronavirus era, as it’s largely seen as one of our best, time-tested tools to contain the spread of the virus and safely reopen the country. But it’s also controversial, especially with the rollout of digital contact tracing tools, some of which were created by data-greedy tech companies. Privacy advocates have feared that the public health crisis could give rise to surveillance methods that are applied to other areas long after the pandemic has passed. Some are stoking those fears.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety raised alarm bells last weekend when Commissioner John