The Systemic Dimension of Success (or Failure?) in the Use of Data and AI during the Covid-19 Pandemic. A Cross-Country Comparison on Contact Tracing Apps

During the Covid-19 pandemic, public attention turned to contact tracing apps as a possible solution to the spread of the virus. Many countries have moved in this direction, thereby adopting contact tracing apps while respecting personal data protection. EU countries also adhered to a number of fundamental principles: voluntariness, interoperability, regulatory coverage, purpose specification, minimisation, transparency, protection, security, and timeliness. In spite of timely public policy efforts, tracking apps have not been a success in many countries, and it seems appropriate to open a reflection on the unsuccessfulness of a public policy that has resolutely supported the use of digital technologies for public utility purposes. This paper proposes a comparative analysis of nine OECD countries: Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and Spain. It outlines the specific factors in each country’s public policy that made the use of tracking apps possible. In terms of policy design, it deals with: objectives, instruments, public procurement selection criteria, resources, and the context in which the policy was implemented. The paper focuses on three lessons learned from the comparative analysis: the privacy paradox, the choice of a public interest technology, and the systemic interweaving that the implementation of a public policy must consider to enhance the effectiveness of a public interest action