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The Cost of Privacy: Welfare Effects of the Disclosure of COVID-19 Cases

Author

Listed:
  • David Argente

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Chang-Tai Hsieh

    (University of Chicago)

  • Munseob Lee

    (University of California, San Diego)

Abstract

South Korea publicly disclosed detailed location information of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19. We quantify the effect of public disclosure on the transmission of the virus and economic losses in Seoul. The change in commuting patterns due to public disclosure lowers the number of cases by 60,000 and the number of deaths by 2,000 in Seoul over two years. Compared to a city-wide lockdown that results in the same number of cases over two years as the disclosure scenario, the economic cost of such a lockdown is almost four times higher.

Suggested Citation

  • David Argente & Chang-Tai Hsieh & Munseob Lee, 2022. "The Cost of Privacy: Welfare Effects of the Disclosure of COVID-19 Cases," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 104(1), pages 176-186, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:104:y:2022:i:1:p:176-186
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01095
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    Cited by:

    1. Lee, Munseob & Finerman, Rachel, 2021. "COVID-19, commuting flows, and air quality," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Pol Antràs & Stephen J. Redding & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2023. "Globalization and Pandemics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(4), pages 939-981, April.
    3. José Acuña & Lykke E. Andersen & Luis Gonzáles, 2020. "Datos territoriales para la gestión de la pandemia: el caso del COVID-19 en Bolivia," Revista Latinoamericana de Desarrollo Economico, Carrera de Economía de la Universidad Católica Boliviana (UCB), issue 34, pages 7-33.
    4. Bisin, Alberto & Gottardi, Piero, 2021. "Efficient policy interventions in an epidemic," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    5. Deiana, Claudio & Geraci, Andrea & Mastrobuoni, Giovanni & Weidenholzer, Simon, 2025. "Running the risk: Immunity and mobility in response to a pandemic," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    6. Pablo D. Fajgelbaum & Amit Khandelwal & Wookun Kim & Cristiano Mantovani & Edouard Schaal, 2021. "Optimal Lockdown in a Commuting Network," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 3(4), pages 503-522, December.
    7. Shin, Jinwook & Kim, Seonghoon & Koh, Kanghyock, 2021. "Economic impact of targeted government responses to COVID-19: Evidence from the large-scale clusters in Seoul," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 199-221.
    8. Zvi Eckstein & Benjamin Bental & Sergei Sumkin, 2020. "What Can Be Learned From The Economic Policies Of Other Countries In Response To The Coronavirus Epidemic? Lessons From The First Wave," Israel Economic Review, Bank of Israel, vol. 18(1), pages 33-46.
    9. Santiago Forero-Alvarado & Nicolás Moreno-Arias & Juan J. Ospina-Tejeiro, 2021. "Humans Against Virus or Humans Against Humans: A Game Theory Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic," Borradores de Economia 1160, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    10. Giannone, Elisa & Paixão, Nuno & Pang, Xinle, 2022. "JUE Insight: The geography of pandemic containment," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    11. Elisa Giannone & Nuno Paixao & Xinle Pang, 2021. "The Geography of Pandemic Containment," Staff Working Papers 21-26, Bank of Canada.
    12. Mita Bhattacharya & Eric Yan, 2025. "Press freedom and stringency measures: the role of energy consumption during COVID-19 lockdowns," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 68(6), pages 2515-2547, June.
    13. Jun Hyung Kim & Yu Kyung Koh & Jinseong Park, 2023. "Mental Health Consequences of Working from Home during the Pandemic," Global Economic Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(1), pages 18-50, January.
    14. Xieer Dai & Michael Beenstock & Daniel Felsenstein & David Genesove & Nikita Kotsenko, 2023. "'Traffic light' theory for Covid-19 spatial mitigation policy design," Journal of Spatial Econometrics, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-35, December.
    15. Lazebnik, Teddy & Shami, Labib & Bunimovich-Mendrazitsky, Svetlana, 2023. "Intervention policy influence on the effect of epidemiological crisis on industry-level production through input–output networks," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 87(PA).
    16. Glaeser, Edward L. & Gorback, Caitlin & Redding, Stephen J., 2022. "JUE Insight: How much does COVID-19 increase with mobility? Evidence from New York and four other U.S. cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    17. Brotherhood, Luiz & Cavalcanti, Tiago & Da Mata, Daniel & Santos, Cezar, 2022. "Slums and pandemics," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    18. Bisin, Alberto & Moro, Andrea, 2022. "JUE insight: Learning epidemiology by doing: The empirical implications of a Spatial-SIR model with behavioral responses," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    19. Juan C. Méndez-Vizcaíno & Nicolás Moreno-Arias, 2021. "A Global Shock with Idiosyncratic Pains: State-Dependent Debt Limits for LATAM during the COVID-19 pandemic," Borradores de Economia 1175, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    20. Edward L. Glaeser & Caitlin S. Gorback & Stephen J. Redding, 2020. "How Much Does COVID-19 Increase with Mobility? Evidence from New York and Four Other U.S. Cities," Working Papers 2020-22, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    21. Janssen, Aljoscha & Shapiro, Matthew, 2020. "Does Precise Case Information Limit Precautionary Behavior? Evidence from COVID-19 in Singapore," Working Paper Series 1344, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    22. Janssen, Aljoscha & Shapiro, Matthew H., 2021. "Does precise case disclosure limit precautionary behavior? Evidence from COVID-19 in Singapore," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 700-714.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E0 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General
    • I0 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General

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