COVID-19 Civic Freedom Tracker
Keep Civic Space Healthy
This tracker monitors government responses to the pandemic that affect civic freedoms and human rights, focusing on emergency laws. For information about our methodology, click here.
For more information and analysis by region, click here.
The COVID-19 Civic Freedom Tracker is a collaborative effort by the ICNL, ECNL, and our global network of partners, with generous research support from the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin. This is an ongoing effort, and we welcome you to email us at adeblock@icnl.org and simona@ecnl.org to share additional resources.
Supreme Decree 070-2020-PCM
The decree authorizes the government to access geolocation tracing data of certain individuals, including those who call an emergency phone line to report symptoms of the COVID-19 and are later confirmed to have the virus. The decree also mandates that private companies operating cell phone networks send out a weekly questionnaire to their subscribers, seeking information on identifying COVID-19 cases, and that state authorities may access the data collected through the questionnaire. The decree is issued pursuant to powers granted under the initial State of Emergency decree.
(See primary source or citation here)Introduced 16 Apr 2020
Issue(s): Surveillance, Privacy
Type: order
No. 044-2020-PCM Declaring a State of Emergency
The decree declares a "state of emergency" on account of the coronavirus pandemic. The decree suspends individual rights under the Constitution of Peru, including the right to peacefully assemble, the right to freedom of movement, and the requirement that the government must have a warrant before it may arrest someone.
State of emergency orders have been renewed monthly by the Peruvian Executive Power since March 16, 2020.
(See primary source or citation here)Introduced 15 Mar 2020 Extended to 30 June 2021
Issue(s): Assembly, Emergency, Movement
Type: order
Peru en Tus Manos Tracking App
The Peru en Tus Manos mobile phone application was introduced on April 2, more than two weeks before the issuance of a law or decree authorizing the government to collect or use personal data to combat the COVID-19 crisis. The app uses geolocation tracking to track users' location in real time, but the privacy policy does not explain the destination or uses of that geolocation information. The government also refused to make the source code for the application available to the public.
(See primary source or citation here)Introduced 2 Apr 2020
Issue(s): Surveillance, Privacy
Type: practice