Data trust and data privacy in the COVID-19 period

Nicholas Biddle,Matthew Gray,Michael Hiscox,Ben Edwards,Kate Sollis,Steven Mceachern

doi:10.1017/dap.2021.36

Abstract

Abstract In this article, we focus on data trust and data privacy, and how attitudes may be changing during the COVID-19 period. On balance, it appears that Australians are more trusting of organizations with regards to data privacy and less concerned about their own personal information and data than they were prior to the spread of COVID-19. The major determinant of this change in trust with regards to data was changes in general confidence in government institutions. Despite this improvement in trust with regards to data privacy, trust levels are still low.

Highlights

Introduction and OverviewA key feature of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the constant reporting of data, almost in real time
Trust in organizations to maintain data privacy This section reports data on Australian’s level of trust in different types of organizations to maintain the privacy of their personal data and how this has changed since October 2018
Cross-sectionally, the highest level of trust is in the Australian Bureau of Statistics, followed by universities and other academic institutions, state and territory governments and the Commonwealth Government

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and OverviewA key feature of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the constant reporting of data, almost in real time. There is daily reporting of epidemiological data on the number of new cases of COVID-19, number of deaths, number of tests and the reproductive rate of the virus. Alongside the availability of epidemiological data, there has been continued reporting of broader economic and social outcomes, with an early focus on the income and employment effects of the pandemic, and more recent data focusing on an apparent increase in inflation and resignation rates. Both sets of data have been compared and contrasted between and within countries to debate the trade-off or lack thereof between economic and public health outcomes.

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