Politicians and investors are already voicing their concerns. U.S. President Donald Trump, for instance, said during a recent White House press briefing that the project poses "big constitutional problems" and that it would be more closely examined in the coming weeks.
Michael Connor, executive director of Open MIC, a nonprofit organization that works with investors on media and technology issues, cautioned the service could open the door for tech companies and the government to glean additional sensitive information from users later on, including political beliefs, ethnicity and more.
"What assurances do we have that contact tracing won't remain in place when the pandemic subsides?" Connor posed in emailed comments.
Connor's organization and investment management firm Arjuna Capital recently filed a handful of proxy proposals directed at Google-parent Alphabet Inc., Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., asking the companies to establish director-level oversight on human and civil rights issues.
The advocacy groups cited particular concerns around the companies' role in advancing "surveillance capitalism," a term that refers to a company profiting from the sale of data.