Privacy concerns and digital government: exploring citizen willingness to adopt the COVIDSafe app

Contact tracing is a key public health intervention during the coronavirus pandemic. While government contact tracing apps (e.g., COVIDSafe) may enforce personal information protection, privacy concerns remain among citizens. To date, few studies have investigated the adoption of contact tracing technology and corresponding citizen information privacy concerns. To address this gap, we propose a research model to explore the impact of individual privacy concerns, trust, and risk perceptions on citizen’s willingness to download a federal contact tracing app. To test the model, we administer a survey to Australian citizens to assess their perceptions of the government’s “COVIDSafe” app. The results of this study indicate that relative advantage, compatibility and trusting beliefs increase adoption intentions. The study provides recommendations for governments tackling COVID-19 and guidance for contact tracing strategies in preparation for future pandemics. © Operational Research Society 2021.