In times of crisis: Public perceptions toward COVID-19 contact tracing apps in China, Germany, and the United States

Abstract

The adoption of COVID-19 contact tracing apps (CTAs) has been proposed as an important measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Based on a cross-national dataset, this article analyzes public perceptions toward CTAs and the factors that drive CTA acceptance in China, Germany, and the United States. We find that public acceptance of CTAs is significantly higher in China as compared with Germany and the United States. Despite very different sociopolitical contexts, there are striking similarities in the factors that drive CTA acceptance in all three countries. Citizens are willing to accept digital contact tracing despite concerns about privacy infringement and government surveillance, as long as the apps are perceived as effective in lowering infection rates and providing health information. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem for CTAs in Germany and the United States where CTAs are voluntary: a high citizen adoption rate is necessary for CTAs to be effective, but CTAs are only effective if adoption rates are high.

How the introduction of the COVID-19 tracing apps affects future tracking technology adoption

“…We also find that trust in the government as a provider of the COVID-19 contact tracing app in the three targeted countries has the strongest correlation with privacy concerns. This finding is in line with other studies that showed a positive relationship between trust in the government and the willingness to download contact tracing apps (Kostka & Habich-Sobiegalla, 2020; Riemer et al. , 2020).…”

“…We also find that trust in the government as a provider of the COVID-19 contact tracing app in the three targeted countries has the strongest correlation with privacy concerns. This finding is in line with other studies that showed a positive relationship between trust in the government and the willingness to download contact tracing apps (Kostka & Habich-Sobiegalla, 2020;Riemer et al, 2020). The perceived transparency of the COVID-19 contact tracing app campaigns is the second-largest factor that can reduce privacy concerns, which emphasizes the importance of clear, correct and accurate information.…”

Who Thinks COVID-19 is a Hoax? Psychological Correlates of Beliefs in Conspiracy Theories and Attitudes Towards Anti-Coronavirus Measures at the End of the First Lockdown in Germany

“…Here, research on the associations between perception of CTAs and conspiracy theories is still scarce, especially for Germany. In one study, no association was reported between belief in conspiracy theories and CTAs when a categorical measure of conspiracy theories (yes/no/maybe/do not know) was used (Kostka & Habich-Sobiegalla, 2022). However, in a second wave of the same study, positive associations were found when a Likert scale was used.…”

Continued Use of Contact-Tracing Apps in the United States and the United Kingdom: Insights From a Comparative Study Through the Lens of the Health Belief Model

“…Ample research has been conducted in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate factors that could influence the adoption and uptake of CT apps [ 15 ]. For instance, prior work pointed to the influence of demographics (eg, age and sex) [ 16 - 18 ], individual beliefs and attitudes (eg, trust, privacy concerns, or access to technologies) [ 10 , 19 , 20 ], situational factors (eg, COVID-19 cases and deaths or lockdown measures) [ 21 ], and contextual factors (eg, cultural, regional, and national differences) [ 15 ]. Despite the important contributions made by these studies, as Jamieson et al [ 22 ] stated, “the collective utility of contact tracing technology to suppress the spread of viruses depends not only on the adoption of contact tracing apps but also on their continued use.” In addition, compared with the beginning of the pandemic, our society has gained more knowledge about COVID-19 and a significant portion of the population has been vaccinated, all of which could affect people’s willingness to continue the use of CT apps.…”

“…This body of prior work highlighted a set of factors that influence the adoption and use intention of CT apps, ranging from individual characteristics (eg, age, sex, and experience with technology) to situational (eg, lockdown measures) and contextual factors (eg, cultural and national differences). For example, younger ages [ 10 , 16 , 17 ], higher education level [ 18 , 26 , 33 ], and experience using smartphone apps [ 10 , 34 ] are associated with positive intentions to download a CT app. In addition, the perceptions, trust, and acceptance of CT technologies seem to vary in different countries and cultural backgrounds.…”