The recommendations are part of a unified European approach to using technology to combat COVID-19 and come after several EU countries launched a variety of applications, drawing criticism from data privacy activists.
"Strong privacy guarantees are a prerequisite for the adoption of these applications and therefore their usefulness," said European Digital Chief Thierry Breton in a statement.
The Commission said that mobile apps should be approved by public health authorities, installed voluntarily and removed once they are not needed, and should also be based on anonymous data.
"Location data is neither necessary nor recommended for the purpose of contact tracking applications, as it is not intended to track people's movements or enforce prescriptions," the Commission document said, citing risks from security and privacy.
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