Pandemic-Driven Technology Adoption: Public Decision Makers Need to Tread Cautiously

During the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, around the world, evidence is mounting as to the unenveness of impacts across communities. There are disproportionately more impacts on people who are elderly, economically marginalized, immunologically compromised, and members of racialized and equity-seeking communities. As part of the COVID-19 response, virus transmission mitigation efforts including the use of new technology tools like contract tracing apps are being explored. There are significant implications to the use of these tools, including how they impact different community members and exacerbate digital divide, exclusion, and surveillance issues. This article brings forward a citizen participation framework that is instructive for decision-makers charged with pandemic-driven technology adoption.

Automated summary

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are uneven across communities, with certain groups experiencing greater consequences. The use of new technology tools, such as contact tracing apps, can help in mitigating virus transmission, but may also exacerbate digital divide and social exclusion issues. A citizen participation framework is proposed to guide decision-makers in adopting pandemic-driven technologies responsibly.