In a recent development in the tech world, Google has launched its ‘COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports’ with the goal of sharing insights into societal changes resulting from policies aimed at countering the COVID-19 pandemic. The reports cover 131 countries and provide trends over time related to geographical movements in various categories such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential areas. This initiative comes in light of the increased global focus on social distancing as a critical tool in addressing this public health crisis. A stress on maintaining privacy, Google ensures that these reports do not enable identification of individuals.
Google’s Protective Measures and Privacy Protocol
Google, an American search engine launched in 1998 by Serge Brin and Larry Page, is now a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. With its newly released Community Mobility Reports, it emphasizes the implementation of technical measures to protect individual privacy. The development of these reports incorporates Google’s strict privacy protocols and policies, ensuring no one can be singled out.
Findings from India’s Lockdown
India observed a significant shift in public movement following the introduction of the ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 22 and the subsequent ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown. Data reflecting the period from January 3 to February 6, 2020, and the initial days of lockdown showed a decrease in activity in areas such as restaurants, pharmacies, parks, and workplaces while witnessing an increase in residential areas. Specifically, there was a 77% decrease in mobility in places like restaurants, cafes, shopping centres, movie theaters, a 65% drop at grocery markets, food warehouses, farmers’ markets, and pharmacies. Public beaches and gardens saw a fall of 57%, public transport hubs dipped by 71% and workplaces fell by 47%. However, a 22% rise was seen in the residential zones. These reports could aid authorities in making informed decisions concerning the pandemic, such as establishing business hours or designing delivery service offerings.
Impact on Other Countries
The reports illustrate a comparison between traffic from February 16 to March 29 at retail and recreational venues, train and bus stations, grocery stores and workplaces with a five-week period (Jan 3- Feb 6). Italy and Spain, two of the most severely affected countries, both showed a 94% fall in visits to retail and recreational locations. The United Kingdom, France and Philippines reported declines of more than 80%. In Japan and Sweden, where severe restrictions have not been imposed, visits to these sites fell by roughly a quarter. South Korea, which has successfully contained a large outbreak through aggressive testing and contact tracing, saw a drop of only 19%. It should be noted that there were no reports for China and Iran, as Google services are blocked in those countries.