How much of our privacy rights and civil liberties will we be willing to give up in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic? After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans showed they were willing to allow these basic rights to erode—a little here, a little there—in exchange for safety.

Aaron Nicodemus is the Editor-in-Chief of Compliance Week. He previously worked as a reporter for Bloomberg Law and as business editor at the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass. Email: aaron.nicodemus@complianceweek.com LinkedIn:...