Almost three quarters of Americans say they will not submit their privacy to contact tracing apps, with Europeans also rejecting the notion outright because they do not trust government to keep their information safe and refrain from misusing it.
by Steve Watson
A study from Avira reveals that the vast majority of Americans are against contact tracing apps, with 71 percent saying they will not download them, and 75% believing their digital privacy is at risk from the technology.
The poll found that only 14 percent believe the government would protect their data effectively.
When asked if they would trust big tech more than the government, 32 percent said they would feel safe giving Apple or Google their data.
The study also noted that those working in Government and Healthcare are the least-likely to download the technology, with 84% of people from these sectors saying they will not use the apps.
Travis Witteveen, CEO of Avira commented:
“We believe these survey results send a clear signal to both app creators and the government. COVID contact tracing apps could fail before they launch if developers don’t communicate to the public how they plan to protect people’s privacy.”
Meanwhile, in Germany people are also rejecting the contact tracing technology owing to privacy concerns.
The amount of people willing to use the apps has fallen to 42 percent, according to polling data from Forschungsgruppe Wahlen.
Statista notes that the latest data indicates a 6 percentage point drop since April:
In Norway, the technology has been completely abandoned after it was deemed to be too invasive.
Amnesty International has warned that contact tracing apps like Norway’s are “most alarming mass surveillance tools”. The organisation’s assessment did not include the US contact tracing app.
In the UK, despite touting it for months, the government has (predictably) failed to roll out its contact tracing app because of bureaucracy.
Cybersecurity experts also analysed the source code of the app and found no less than seven major flaws.
