New digital public health tools: privacy by design in contact tracing mobile apps for COVID-19

ABSTRACT

The technology adoption cycle in the public sector is usually much longer than in the private sector. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an acceleration in the adoption of various digital tools which serve as a bridge between the public and private sector. These digital tools include instantaneous contact tracing mobile applications (apps) used to alert individuals who have recently been in contact with an infected person and used by governments to manage public health policies. From the perspective of individuals' data storage there are two general possible approaches, namely centralised and decentralised. Each approach has some legal and ethical considerations, mostly related to finding the right balance between the individual's privacy and public health. In this paper we will outline how privacy according to the design principle should be applied as a minimum standard when developing government approved contact tracking apps. Copyright © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.