Authors: Harsh Vardhan Pachisia, Isalyne Gennaro and Kadambari Shah

State governments have ramped up their use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) during the COVID-19 pandemic to track the spread of the virus. However, the use of individual addresses and subsequent published maps showing these locations has rightly brought up issues of spatial privacy. This policy brief summarises various geomasking techniques that can be applied by Indian policymakers to reduce safety and security concerns. With such measures, GIS can continue to be used not only for tracking COVID-19 spread but also for monitoring and improving the delivery of healthcare beyond the pandemic. 

• Privacy
• Geographic Information Systems