South Korea virus control model has privacy drawbacks

Significance

The country has avoided a full lockdown even though the epidemic initially gained strength. Nonetheless, Seoul managed to reduce the infection rate, and in late April was reporting no new cases, before a new cluster resurfaced this month. Secondary waves are expected and many countries are looking to South Korea’s coronavirus response as a model for controlling the epidemic.

Impacts

• Centralised storage of personal data during the pandemic could be an attractive target for state-sponsored hackers and cyber criminals.
• A more decentralised surveillance approach would keep effectiveness high and mitigate privacy concerns.
• People identified as having had or spread COVID-19 are sometimes subject to stigmatisation and online harassment.