Pandemic Control in the Digital Age: Corona-Warn-App as Important Device on Our Way Back to ‘Normal Operations’
It is happening - soon: Current developments on the Corona-Warning-App of the German government are progressing rapidly and the application could be launched in just a few weeks. The app is designed to help identify and warn people who were in contact with infected persons, thus, interrupting chains of infection.
In a recent video conference on the upcoming app organized by the German Federal Press Agency, BARIG has joined one of the latest informative consultations, highlighting potential benefits of this project. The Corona-Warn-App can improve pandemic control through interruption of chains of infection, which may prevent a potential second major outbreak of the virus followed by renewed shutdowns of large sections of public life. That is to say, the app can contribute to averting further dramatic consequences for our society and economy, including the aviation and tourism industry, and is, therefore, a vital tool on our way back to ‘normal operations’.
At the same time, the government attaches great importance to data protection. Not only does the decentralized cryptological approach in data storage prevent a person-bound tracing. Furthermore, the principle of double voluntary action takes effect: both the use of the app and sharing of data are subject to each citizen’s free choice. However, this makes the degree of the app’s success highly dependent on the number of users – each and every one of us can, hence, contribute to the digital fight against Corona.
Further information on the app is available via https://www.coronawarn.app/en/news/.
