Young Adults View Smartphone Tracking Technologies for COVID-19 as Acceptable: The Case of Taiwan.

Paul M Garrett,Cheng-Ta Yang,Joshua P White,Yuwen Wang,Shulan Hsieh,Stephan Lewandowsky,Yi-Chan Lee,Carol Strong,Simon Dennis

doi:10.3390/ijerph18031332

Abstract

Taiwan has been successful in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, without a vaccine the threat of a second outbreak remains. Young adults who show few to no symptoms when infected have been identified in many countries as driving the virus’ spread through unidentifiable community transmission. Mobile tracking technologies register nearby contacts of a user and notifies them if one later tests positive to the virus, potentially solving this issue; however, the effectiveness of these technologies depends on their acceptance by the public. The current study assessed attitudes towards three tracking technologies (telecommunication network tracking, a government app, and Apple and Google’s Bluetooth exposure notification system) among four samples of young Taiwanese adults (aged 25 years or younger). Using Bayesian methods, we find high acceptance for all three tracking technologies (>75%), with acceptance for each technology surpassing 90% if additional privacy measures were included. We consider the policy implications of these results for Taiwan and similar cultures.

Highlights

Despite its proximity and close cultural and economic ties to China, Taiwan has managed to arrest the spread of the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)disease responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic
Young adults who frequently engage in social activities and present with little to none of the SARS-CoV-2 symptoms [7] have been identified as driving the spread of COVID-19 in many countries [6]
Over the month of April, 2020, we asked four samples of Taiwanese young adults to rate the perceived risks posed by COVID-19, before rating the acceptability, benefits, and risks associated with three hypothetical tracking scenarios: telecommunication network tracking, a decentralized Bluetooth Exposure Notification system backed by Apple and Google, and a centralized government app

Summary

Introduction

Despite its proximity and close cultural and economic ties to China, Taiwan has managed to arrest the spread of the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)disease responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Policy makers must be informed of which non-pharmaceutical measures may be implemented without halting the nation’s social and economic activities, and if these measures are likely to be effective among those individuals most likely to spread the virus: young adults [6]. Young adults who frequently engage in social activities and present with little to none of the SARS-CoV-2 symptoms [7] have been identified as driving the spread of COVID-19 in many countries [6]. These individuals may act as “superspreaders” [8], and appear to have played a role in the second and third waves of infections already

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