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COVID-19 is the first global pandemic to emerge on such a wide scale and to such grave effect in an advanced phase of so-called “datafied society”. It lays bare the nuances of a society undergoing digital data transformation in nearly every field of human activity, from its most beneficial to its most disturbing aspects. Four distinct tendencies have emerged:“unquestioning positivism”,“information disorder”,“digital vigilantism” and the “normalisation of surveillance”. This article explores these tendencies and elaborates on the necessary antibodies to counteract them.