Navigating Digital Privacy and Surveillance: Post‐Covid Regulatory and Theoretical Insights

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted and accelerated existing trends in digital privacy, intensifying the balance between public health needs and privacy rights. This article examines the concept of digital unfreedom and its growing relevance post-Covid-19, focusing on the balance between public health needs and privacy rights. It explores the evolution of digital freedom pre- and post-pandemic through four key concepts: control over personal information; freedom from surveillance; respectful data protection; and the right to bodily autonomy. Emphasizing the critical importance of privacy in public health strategies, this article calls for vigilant regulatory reforms to protect individual rights and ensure equitable data practices.