What is it about?
This study evaluates the impact of the political environment, information privacy, security, and users' intentions on the adoption of contact tracing apps. We collected 399 reviews from 21 contact tracing apps in the USA by scraping digital app stores. A semi-supervised machine learning model was used to analyze privacy and security concerns in the reviews. The findings show that security controls have a positive effect on user adoption, as indicated by higher star ratings. Additionally, users in states with blue political environments tend to give higher ratings to apps, particularly when security controls are strong. These results highlight the influence of the political environment on the adoption of contact tracing apps. During a pandemic, users prioritize security over privacy concerns, emphasizing the importance of effective security features for encouraging app acceptance. The study highlights the intersection of the political climate and concerns about privacy and security, demonstrating that these factors significantly influence app ratings.
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Why is it important?
The paper emphasizes the need to consider the political environment when designing and promoting contact tracing apps and similar public health tools, regardless of the specific disease or outbreak.
Perspectives
The study reveals that during a pandemic, users prioritize security over privacy concerns, which underscores the importance of designing apps with effective security features to increase user acceptance. Moreover, the research highlights the significant role of the political environment in shaping user perceptions, offering insights into how local political climates can influence the adoption of public health technologies.
Ahmad Jumah
University of Illinois at Springfield
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The effect of political environment on security and privacy of contact tracing apps evaluation, International Journal of Public Sector Management, August 2024, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/ijpsm-08-2023-0247.
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