A socio-technical framework for digital contact tracing

TL;DR

This paper presents a socio-technical framework to evaluate COVID-19 contact tracing apps, focusing on privacy, technology, and governance, illustrated through case studies and guidelines comparison.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive framework for assessing contact tracing apps' social and technical impacts, addressing privacy and governance concerns.

Findings

Framework effectively evaluates app suitability and privacy implications.

Application case studies reveal limitations of existing guidelines.

Highlights the importance of socio-technical considerations in app deployment.

Abstract

In their efforts to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, decision makers are considering the development and use of smartphone applications for contact tracing. Even though these applications differ in technology and methods, there is an increasing concern about their implications for privacy and human rights. Here we propose a framework to evaluate their suitability in terms of impact on the users, employed technology and governance methods. We illustrate its usage with three applications, and with the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) guidelines, highlighting their limitations.