Weekend edition—Contact tracing, wacky charts, grad school

Good morning, Quartz readers! Privacy may have already seemed antiquated before the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve reached the point where Facebook, Google, and an army of third-party data brokers possess more information on human behavior than any go [Quartz]( Good morning, Quartz readers! Privacy may have already seemed antiquated before the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve reached the point where Facebook, Google, and an army of third-party[data brokers]( possess more information on human behavior than any government in history. Our smartphones betray our location. Surveillance companies create uncannily accurate[facial-recognition databases]( from the photos we post to social media. It’s no surprise that governments are now turning to such tools in the interest of public health. Around the world, authorities have released or plan to roll out contact-tracing apps. The idea is that if someone becomes infected with Covid-19, anyone who that person may have exposed can be alerted or found. Big Tech, no stranger to tracking your smartphone, wants to make sure governments are doing it carefully. Apple and Google [released a beta API]( this week that health authorities can use to develop such apps. It uses Bluetooth, a proximity-based approach [meant to reduce privacy fears]( by keeping data decentralized and the identity of disease carriers anonymous. But[critics note that]( even Bluetooth has shortcomings and security risks. And they’re even more skeptical of contact-tracing systems that use location data and centralized databases, as they do in [China]( [India]( [South Korea]( and even[Norway](. The UK’s National Health Service[announced this week]( that it would store data from its own contact-tracing app on a centralized server. In the US, Utah released [an app]( that reveals personal data to public health authorities—and to some employees of the firm that designed it. Even the EU, with its strict data protections, will implement[digital tracing]( of citizens at an unprecedented scale. Such data collection is already having unintended consequences. South Korea’s[coronavirus-tracking apps]( have made it possible to suss out the identities of those infected,[leading to public shaming](. As regions lift their stay-at-home orders, contact tracing will let authorities better track Covid-19’s spread. It will also give governments and companies a treasure trove of information on our health and movements—and create a precedent to request more later. The danger is when the public becomes used to it. —[Amrita Khalid]( tech reporter Looking for a calm, rational, even curious approach to coronavirus? We’ve got an email for that. [Sign up]( for a look at how an epidemic affects the health of the global economy. FIVE THINGS ON QUARTZ WE ESPECIALLY LIKED Negligence in nursing homes. The elderly are most vulnerable to the coronavirus, yet many are living in senior care centers rife with infection—petri dishes, essentially. To make matters worse, they’re sealed off from the world: Most institutions have stopped allowing visitors, eliminating an informal layer of oversight. [Lila MacLellan writes about]( the role of loved ones in keeping seniors safe and the horrifying abuses that have come to light in this time of crisis. —[Ephrat Livni]( senior reporter, law & politics Is grad school a good idea right now? The last time there was a global recession, Quartz at Work reporter Sarah Todd ditched the job market and sought refuge in a master’s degree program. She has some [thoughtful and practical advice]( for anyone who is now considering doing the same. —[Heather Landy]( executive editor Understanding antibody tests. If you’re hoping a finger-prick kit can tell you if that weird cold was actually Covid-19, you may be out of luck. Because of a quirk of epidemiological statistics, even the best-designed tests can give high rates of false positives when few people in a population are infected. It’s confusing, so let [this simulation]( from Tim McDonnell and Amanda Shendruk explain the deal. —[Katie Palmer]( science and health editor A Supreme Court tax dodge. It was supposed to lay the issue of Donald Trump’s tax records to rest, but instead America’s high court might avoid a ruling altogether. Congress has asked Trump’s bankers and accountants to turn over his records, which the president argues are protected by executive privilege. His lawyers contend it’s a political rather than judicial issue. [Ephrat Livni breaks down]( the doctrine that might absolve the court from a high-stakes decision. —[Pete Gelling]( geopolitics editor We’re in an age of charts that look like data errors. Habits, rituals, and anything once known as “normal” have changed almost overnight. Dan Kopf’s look into how people in the US are buying food provides [a prime example]( (Quartz member exclusive). The decades-long trend of dining out growing its share of food-and-drink spending had many contributing factors. One month of Covid-19 lockdowns and the balance is back to a level unseen since 1996. —[David Yanofsky]( things editor QUARTZ MEMBERSHIP Career building in quarantine. Our latest Quartz at Work (from home) workshop offers some [tactical advice for navigating your career]( whether you’re nearing the end of it, still at the very beginning of it, or somewhere in between. Quartz announcement Do you use Quartz presentations? We want your input! We're exploring new possibilities for our presentations, and we’d love to know more about how you’ve used them in the past so that we can best serve you in the future. [Fill out this 2-minute survey to share your thoughts!]( We look forward to hearing from you. FIVE THINGS ELSEWHERE THAT MADE US SMARTER What the face mask has unmasked. In just a matter of months, mask-wearing went from seeming exclusively “Asian” or superfluous to just a way of life. Now, as governments and individuals everywhere scramble for the precious commodity, [the Guardian explores]( how the humble covering, perhaps more than any other symbol of the pandemic, exposes so much about the hypocrisies and failures of the global, political, and economic order. —[Isabella Steger]( deputy Asia editor All the sharing economy’s woes, writ large. Rideshare apps and delivery services are struggling in the pandemic, but Airbnb has even bigger problems. When the travel industry went into hibernation, [reports the Wall Street Journal]( it had a ripple effect for short-term rentals, affecting homeowners and lenders, and exposing the startup’s impact on the real estate market. Now some hosts feel like they struck a deal with the devil—and want out. —[Holly Ojalvo]( talent lab editor The decline of class politics in America. Historically, the wealthy generally voted for Republicans, the working class Democrats. That’s no longer true. [Eric Levitz at New York magazine]( explores the data revealing why class has diminished as the driver of party affiliation. With universities largely replacing unions as the great liberalizing force in American political life, the future of the Democratic party is a coalition of the well-educated and the working class. —[Michael J. Coren]( senior reporter, climate change Giving birth without support nearby, but not alone. Going into labor by yourself sounds terrifying, but in a [Washington Post essay]( psychologist Betsy Levy Paluck describes the power of a remote community in helping her do just that. Messages poured in from friends staying up all night to send love, while a doula guided her on the phone. Her writing reminded me that we are still united, even through trying experiences, as we’re sequestered in our homes. —[Olivia Goldhill]( investigative reporter Gamers learn about low interest rates. Animal Crossing is the hit video game of the pandemic. It’s also a great way to learn about monetary policy. The Financial Times [explores the consequences]( (paywall) of the developer’s decision to lower interest rates in the fantasy world, where virtual money is used for in-game purchases. As in real life, lowered rates means ambitious capitalists have had to make bigger bets. —[Dan Kopf]( data editor Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend. Please send any news, comments, double-take charts, and econ-savvy video games to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by[downloading our app]( and[becoming a member](. Today’s Weekend Brief was brought to you by Steve Mollman and Kira Bindrim. [facebook]( [twitter]( [external-link]( Enjoying Quartz Daily Brief? 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