EU countries using mobile apps to curb the spread of coronavirus should ensure their compliance with privacy rules and avoid the use of personalized location data, said the European Commission.

The recommendations are part of a single European approach to using technologies to combat COVID-19 and were adopted after several EU countries launched applications that have been criticized by activists in the field of data privacy.

“Strong privacy safeguards are a pre-requisite for the uptake of these apps, and therefore their usefulness,” Reuters reported quoting European digital chief Thierry Breton.

The European Commission said that mobile apps must be approved by public health authorities, voluntarily installed and removed, and should also be based on anonymous data. “Location data is not necessary nor recommended for the purpose of contact tracing apps, as their goal is not to follow the movements of individuals or to enforce prescriptions,” the Commission document said, citing security and privacy risks.