News Insights: Apple and Google have an ambitious plan to help officials track coronavirus – here’s what needs to happen now

News Insights:

Sanjay Gupta, VP of corporate development, Mitek: 

“Half of the Americans who could access Google and Apple’s planned coronavirus tracking app wouldn’t be willing to, according a new poll by the University of Maryland and Washington Post, highlighting the main reason why efforts to implement contact tracing have been so unsuccessful in the US. Given the number of high profile data breaches over the past couple of years, it’s not surprising Americans may remain skeptical of companies handling data.

I also think people are willing to give up a certain amount of individualism for the greater good, as we’ve seen people do a great job of sheltering in place. And I believe, now more than ever, they will be willing to trade convenience to get what they want. People want to get back out into the world. They want to go back to their barber to get their hair cut, they want to take a break from cooking and eat out, and they want to get their groceries in a way that keeps everyone safe. For instance in countries like South Korea, where contact tracing has been widely accepted and adopted, it has been used effectively to track and mitigate the spread of the virus. We’re all committed to this goal, and as a result, we’re going to see consumer behavior change – the number of people willing to use the app is going to increase.”