Canadian researchers flag accessibility issues and perception of privacy as the biggest reasons why people do not download apps to help with contract tracing of COVID-19 infections. In Canada, 6.99 million people out of a total population of 38.4 million have downloaded the COVID Alert app.
Researchers at York University in Toronto point out that the contract tracing app in Canada is only offered in the official languages of French and English. Canada has a large number of immigrants and other newcomers, and government information from 2016, showed that 648,970 or 1.9 per cent of the population uses neither language.
Canadians wary of privacy
And while Canada’s COVID Alert app has provisions to protect privacy, many people are still wary. “The perceptions people have – such as that the app is tracking users’ locations or that the data collected is used for other purposes – may not reflect the reality of the situation. That’s why it’s important to have clear and transparent communication about how this app works, what this app does, and what privacy issues are actual concerns, in order to combat any misinformation,” says Rebecca Babcock, research coordinator, Digital Global Health & Humanitarianism Lab. Babcock notes that some countries like Australia and Switzerland have passed legislation guaranteeing that contact tracing will only be used during the pandemic and will cease afterwards. Canada has not.
The Canadian government has posted information, videos and graphics to inform Canadians and encourage them to use the COVID-19 contact tracing app. (Government of Canada)
Several factors found to influence users
Babcock and other researchers examined the use of contract tracing apps in Canada, Scotland, Cyprus, Iceland, Ireland and South Africa. They spoke with experts and reviewed literature and found a great variation in uptake of the apps. Based on their work, they made several recommendations to improve their use. And they identified factors that influence users across countries.
Researchers found that where there is strong sense of community in a country, people may be more likely to use the app because they want to protect their fellows. A factor that may hinder uptake is the perception of how the data is collected and managed, and a lack of trust that people have in their public and private institutions. Inclusion and accessibility were issues, whether it was a question of the language of communication or whether people had smartphones connected to the internet. And in some countries, people could not see much use in having the app because they did not have access to health care, and whether or not they had come in contact with an infected person would not have made much difference to them. Communication and misinformation are factors. The Canadian government has posted extensive information about the app used in Canada in hopes of providing information and dispelling fears.
Researchers at York University continue to study why there is not more uptake of the COVID-19 contract tracing app in Canada.
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