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Contact tracing apps and values dilemmas: A privacy paradox in a neo-liberal world

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  • Rowe, Frantz

Abstract

Contact tracing apps are presented as a solution, if not the solution, to curb pandemics in the Covid-19 crisis. In France, despite heated public institutional debate on privacy related issues, the app was presented by government as an essential benefit for protecting health and lives, thus avoiding both politicians and citizens to feel morally responsible and looking guilty, and as essential to recover our freedom to move. However we argue that, while detection of cases have still not been reported after 10 days and one million app downloads - a situation comparable to Australia who launched its app a month before -, the adoption of the app generates important risks to our informational privacy, surveillance and habituation to security policies. It also may create discrimination, distrust and generate other health problems such as addiction and others as 5G technology continues to be deployed without prior impact studies. Finally the smartphone app against covid epidemics appears as an extreme case of the privacy paradox where the government plays on the immediate benefits and downplays long-term concerns while inducing a technology of self. Contact tracing apps may become an emblematic case for digital transformation and value changes in the western world.

Suggested Citation

  • Rowe, Frantz, 2020. "Contact tracing apps and values dilemmas: A privacy paradox in a neo-liberal world," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ininma:v:55:y:2020:i:c:s0268401220310136
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102178
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Dana Naous & Manus Bonner & Mathias Humbert & Christine Legner, 2022. "Learning From the Past to Improve the Future," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 64(5), pages 597-614, October.
    2. Shahidi, Niousha & Tossan, Vesselina & Bourliataux-Lajoinie, Stéphane & Cacho-Elizondo, Silvia, 2022. "Behavioural intention to use a contact tracing application: The case of StopCovid in France," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    3. Mishra, Deepa Bhatt & Haider, Imran & Gunasekaran, Angappa & Sakib, Md. Nazmus & Malik, Nishtha & Rana, Nripendra P., 2023. "“Better together”: Right blend of business strategy and digital transformation strategies," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    4. Frantz Rowe & M. Lynne Markus, 2022. "Taking the measure of digital giants: Amazon and the Social Welfare Computing research agenda," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(2), pages 437-446, June.
    5. Ayesha Safeer & Atika Batool & Zahra Mushtaq, 2023. "Experiencing Migration and Asylum Seeking: A Diasporic study of The Book of Rosy: A Mother’s story of separation at the Border by Rosayra Pablo Cruz and Julie Schwitert Collazo," Journal of Policy Research (JPR), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 9(2), pages 741-749.
    6. Cloos, Janis & Mohr, Svenja, 2022. "Acceptance of data sharing in smartphone apps from key industries of the digital transformation: A representative population survey for Germany," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    7. Felix B. Buesching & Dennis M. Steininger & Daniel J. Veit, 2023. "Governing digital crisis responses: platform standards and the dilemma of COVID-19 contact tracing," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 267-323, January.
    8. Saheb, Tahereh & Sabour, Elham & Qanbary, Fatimah & Saheb, Tayebeh, 2022. "Delineating privacy aspects of COVID tracing applications embedded with proximity measurement technologies & digital technologies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

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