JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

With the relative ubiquity of smartphones, contact tracing and exposure notification apps have been looked to as novel methods to help reduce the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Many countries have created apps that lie across a spectrum, from privacy-first approaches to those that have very few privacy measures. The level of privacy incorporated into an app is largely based on the societal norms and values of a particular country. Digital health technologies can be highly effective and preserve privacy, but in the case of contact tracing and exposure notification apps, there is a trade-off between increased privacy measures and the effectiveness of the app. In this Comment, the implications of greater privacy on the adoption and effectiveness of contract tracing and exposure notification apps are discussed through examples of mandatory and voluntary COVID-19 apps in various countries.