The nation’s governors are making contact tracing — often relying on smartphones and devices to reveal where we’ve been and who we’ve been with — a centerpiece of their COVID-19 reopening strategies. The Commonwealth Fund’s David Blumenthal, M.D., and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) point out, however, that there are important unresolved questions concerning privacy.

In their essay for STAT, they say while acting fast is critical, “we cannot sacrifice privacy in our response to this crisis.” Find out what they say needs to be done to balance the imperatives of public safety and protecting Americans’ civil liberties.