The American Civil Liberties Union wants to see public records related to the city of New Orleans' mandate that some businesses collect contact information from patrons to help public health officials with contact tracing.
"We all understand the importance of combating the spread of this virus, but any contact tracing system must be voluntary, transparent, and respectful of people’s privacy rights," said Alanah Odoms Hebert, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana.
Hebert says they are concerned that the city’s plan fails to do that, calling it "vague and arbitrary."
"The mandatory collection of contact information from customers raises serious constitutional concerns, including about how this information will be used, the chilling effect it may have on the freedom of speech, and the potential for abuse by immigration authorities and police," Hebert continued.
The ACLU also points out that requiring this of restaurants and salons but not churches, gyms, and other businesses or institutions creates an unfair and ineffective means of trying to contain the spread of COVID-19.