Navigating through adversity with certainty?
The UK government's decision to implement a contact tracing app to aid in the fight against COVID-19 has been met with both anticipation and apprehension. A group of 28 individuals from diverse backgrounds came together in May and June 2020 for a deliberative discussion titled "Confidence in a crisis? Building public trust in a contact tracing app," organised by Traverse, Involve, and Bang the Table.
The core question posed to the cohort was: "Under what circumstances do citizens think that technological solutions like the COVID-19 contact tracing app are appropriate?" Over three weeks, participants assessed evidence, debated, and deliberated on the requirements that would make a Government contact tracing app trusted and justified.
The unique circumstances of the discussion opened as the Government announced the trial of a contact tracing app on the Isle of Wight, ran across the 'Barnard Castle' visit, and concluded as the death of George Floyd sparked global protests against racial injustice and evidence emerged of the disproportionate impact of the virus on Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities.
The effectiveness of a contact tracing app relies on mass adoption, requiring public trust and buy-in for the decisions made around the app and the system it is part of. Despite the challenges, four strong steers from this mini public on how to build COVID-19 technologies with legitimacy remain pertinent to current concerns.
The Government has shifted its technical approach, using Google and Apple's 'decentralised' exposure notification API. This change aims to address concerns about privacy and accuracy, as the new approach complicates the ability to accurately measure distance, a key issue that the NHSX team will be testing in the pilot.
The app now includes features such as warning of local risk levels, scanning QR codes, and ordering tests. Future versions may allow people to enter personal information to create an individual risk score. However, ignoring the public and getting the next phase wrong may do greater damage than one failed app, potentially undermining trust in the public health strategy and the Government's management of the crisis.
To help design and deliver COVID-19 technologies with public legitimacy built in, a checklist has been developed. This checklist is based on the findings of the online deliberation project and supporting research. The Government is beginning the next pilot of the NHS contact tracing app, and the checklist serves as a guiding principle to ensure that the app is developed and implemented in a way that fosters public trust.
The project aimed to provide participants with a space to discuss different viewpoints, learn about the subject matter, and reflect on various views as they formed their opinions. The insights gained from this discussion will undoubtedly contribute to a more informed and inclusive approach to the development and implementation of the NHS contact tracing app.
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