In the spring of 2020, the first versions of covid-19 exposure notification systems were released to the public. These systems promised to slow the disease's spread by providing automated warnings to people who came into contact with the virus. Now, over a year later, residents in over 50 countries—including half of US states—can opt into these systems.
But the big question remains: how well did this technology work? Some studies suggest answers, but despite such wide rollout, it's difficult to evaluate whether exposure notifications were actually able to stall covid-19 spread. This is especially true in the US, where many states launched their own apps—a decentralized approach that reflects America's fragmented pandemic response.
In an attempt to learn more about how this technology fared in the US, MIT Technology Review reached out to every state public health department that launched a digital contact tracing system and examined app reviews left by anonymous Americans. We asked two questions: who is actually using this technology, and how do people feel about it?
The end result of this analysis paints a picture of unexplored potential. Many of the country's exposure notification apps are underutilized, misunderstood, and not well-trusted—and yet this technology may yet come into its own as a public health tool for future disease outbreaks.
From MIT Technology Review
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