The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point in how governments leverage digital technologies to manage public health emergencies. Among the most prominent tools were contact tracing apps, which sparked intense debates around privacy, human rights, and state surveillance. In this article, we explore how governments—including the UK—engaged with the development, deployment, and policy decisions surrounding these apps.
The Privacy vs. Public Health Dilemma
Governments around the world faced a difficult balancing act: protect public health while safeguarding individual privacy rights.
A striking quote from a UK government human rights report during the pandemic stated:
“The lockdown itself constitutes an interference in the human rights of individuals and is currently justified by the need to protect human life.”
This acknowledges that extraordinary circumstances—like a pandemic—can justify certain intrusions. However, any digital intervention, such as a contact tracing app, must still respect privacy frameworks like the European Convention on Human Rights and GDPR.
Governments needed to ensure that any contact tracing initiative:
- Was proportionate to the public health risk,
- Included time-bound limitations (i.e., sunset clauses),
- Offered transparent communication about data use.
Should Contact Tracing Apps Be Mandatory?
One of the most contentious questions in pandemic tech policy was whether contact tracing apps should be mandatory. The NHS COVID-19 app remained voluntary in the UK, though users were strongly encouraged to install it and scan QR codes to enter public venues.
Arguments for making the app mandatory include:
- Ensuring higher uptake rates, which directly impact effectiveness.
- Treating it as a public duty, akin to wearing masks or isolating after exposure.
- Simplifying enforcement and data coverage for contact alerts.
Arguments against mandating the app involve:
- Human rights concerns, especially around digital surveillance.
- Inequity for those without compatible smartphones.
- Potential erosion of trust, leading to broader resistance.
For more ethical insights, see: Surveillance vs. Civil Liberties in Public Health Tech
Key Elements of Government Decision-Making
If governments are to deploy such apps effectively while respecting civil liberties, several core principles should shape their decision-making process:
- Transparency and Public Dialogue
The UK government published multiple reports and invited public feedback, which helped build some level of trust. - Evidence-Based Policy
Decisions should be grounded in epidemiological modeling and real-world app usage statistics. - Oversight and Accountability
Independent reviews, data protection regulators (like the ICO in the UK), and parliamentary oversight are critical to prevent misuse. - Global Interoperability with Local Control
Governments must align with global standards (e.g., Apple-Google API) while tailoring implementations to local legal and cultural contexts.
Explore related content: How Governments Can Safely Adopt Digital Contact Tracing
Comparative Global Reflections
Different countries adopted different levels of government intervention:
- China and India took a mandatory approach, integrating apps with travel permissions and public access.
- Germany, Japan, and the UK favored voluntary use, often paired with strong privacy assurances.
- Bangladesh developed apps like “Corona Tracer BD,” though uptake was limited due to technical and trust barriers.
These contrasting models illustrate how legal structures, public trust, and technology infrastructure influence digital health governance.
Final Reflection: Ethical Government Tech Policy Post-COVID
The experience with the NHS COVID-19 app and similar tools worldwide leaves us with important takeaways:
- Mandates may undermine trust in democratic societies.
- Governments must treat citizens as informed partners, not passive data subjects.
- The best public health technologies are those that are secure, ethical, and transparent—and that the public wants to use, not has to use.
As we prepare for future health crises, governments should apply the lessons of COVID-19 to build more resilient and rights-respecting digital infrastructures.
Related Reading on BanglaTechInfo
- Ethical Guidelines for Government Use of Mobile Apps
- User Trust in State-Sponsored Health Tech
- Data Protection Laws and Pandemic Response
We love to share our knowledge on current technologies. Our motto is ‘Do our best so that we can’t blame ourselves for anything“.