Google to track people during coronavirus lockdown

Google has started releasing location data to help public health officials track how people are responding to lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic.

The information, gathered from Google Maps or the search giant’s other services, shows when people are going to shops, parks, pharmacies, subway stations and offices.

The US tech giant said on Friday that it is publishing aggregated, anonymised data for 131 countries and regions to highlight movement trends over time.