Paper by Urs Gasser et al: “Data collection and processing via digital public health technologies are being promoted worldwide by governments and private companies as strategic remedies for mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic and loosening lockdown measures. However, the ethical and legal boundaries of deploying digital tools for disease surveillance and control purposes are unclear, and a rapidly evolving debate has emerged globally around the promises and risks of mobilizing digital tools for public health. To help scientists and policymakers navigate technological and ethical uncertainty, we present a typology of the primary digital public health applications currently in use. Namely: proximity and contact tracing, symptom monitoring, quarantine control, and flow modeling. For each, we discuss context-specific risks, cross-sectional issues, and ethical concerns. Finally, in recognition of the need for practical guidance, we propose a navigation aid for policymakers made up of ten steps for the ethical use of digital public health tools….(More)”.
How to contribute:
Did you come across – or create – a compelling project/report/book/app at the leading edge of innovation in governance?
Share it with us at info@thelivinglib.org so that we can add it to the Collection!
About the Curator
Get the latest news right in your inbox
Subscribe to curated findings and actionable knowledge from The Living Library, delivered to your inbox every Friday
Related articles
Democracy
INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATION
The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time—and How to Fix It
Posted in September 2, 2026 by Stefaan Verhulst
Artificial Intelligence
DATA
Aviva detects record £230m in bogus insurance claims as use of AI rises
Posted in September 1, 2026 by Stefaan Verhulst
Artificial Intelligence
DATA
From algorithmic efficiency to democratic legitimacy: rethinking AI governance in the Global South
Posted in September 1, 2026 by Stefaan Verhulst