Give us a phone app and we will fight the virus, say vast majority
THE vast majority of Irish adults are willing to download a contacttracing app to their smartphone to curb the Covid-19 pandemic – but there are concerns about privacy.
Researchers from Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, the University of Limerick and the National University of Ireland, Galway found that 82% of adults are willing to download such an app.
However, people also expressed several privacy concerns, including that the Government, tech firms or hackers might use the information gathered for other purposes after the pandemic.
In the survey, 98% of the more than 8,000 respondents said they understood the concept of contact tracing and 96% said informing the HSE about close contacts is important if someone has symptoms.
Dr Jim Buckley, of Lero, said the response was ‘very heartening’, considering that researchers from the University of Oxford estimated that if 56% of people were to download an ideal contact-tracing app in the UK, that would be enough to control the disease by itself.
However, Dr Buckley warned: ‘Studies in other jurisdictions have suggested that the actual adoption rate typically lags behind the take-up rate suggested by surveys performed in advance of contacttracing apps’ launches.’
He also said there is no room for complacency, and eliminating the disease ‘requires a high degree of participation from the public’.
The research also showed 51% of respondents indicated they ‘definitely will install’ the app if it becomes available, and 31% indicated they ‘probably will install’ it.
Only 10% said they ‘may or may not install’ the app.
People preferred the idea of a Bluetooth app, with just 31% saying they would prefer one that uses geolocation technology.
Dr Michael O’Callaghan, one of the survey’s authors, said the results offer an insight into people’s concerns relating to contact tracing.
‘Some 41% of respondents could see no reason not to install the app. “I worry technology companies will use this as an excuse for surveillance after the pandemic” was selected by 41% of these,’ he said.
‘Clear timelines on when this app would be wound down and how Bluetooth technology will allow information to be exchanged are important messages that need to be communicated,’ he added.
‘Response has been very heartening’