Germany pivots from centralized coronavirus tracing app to privacy-protecting alternative

Germany has changed its stance on the centralization of data generated from mobile apps designed to help combat COVID-19. 

Until recently, German officials have backed the idea of a mobile app that would generate geolocation information, including where a user goes and who they meet, of which this data would be stored centrally.  

The problem with this concept, and one criticized by civil rights and privacy groups, is that the vast collection of citizen data could pave the way for future surveillance on a scale never before seen in the West, as this information would be accessible by groups potentially including government departments -- or, perhaps, law enforcement.