The data will be aggregated and anonymized, the official said. The Commission will also delete the info when the pandemic is over. The European Data Protection Supervisor also wants the Commission to "clearly define" the data it wants to collect, maintain transparency and limit access to epidemiologists and other relevant experts.

Separately, the World Health Organization has maintained that any technological assistance in fighting COVID-19 would have to protect human rights and privacy.

While this could alleviate some fears that the tracking would be used as a pretext to surveil EU residents, there are still concerns. No matter how trustworthy the EU may be, it's unclear just how effectively it might anonymize and secure that data. And while the height of the coronavirus outbreak might be relatively brief, it's not clear how long the crisis will last. There's a possibility the tracking could last longer than some would like.