3 minute read 3 Aug. 2020
EY - Contact data sharing technology

Tracing the path forward: contact data sharing in the era of COVID-19

Biren Agnihotri
By Biren Agnihotri

Digital Engineering and AI & Data Leader, EY Canada

Driven by the possibilities of the future.

3 minute read 3 Aug. 2020
Related topics Technology Risk Consulting Automation AI COVID-19
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The demand for privacy and data protection will increase as technologies offer new capabilities to refuel the growth of Canadian businesses.

In brief
  • Investments in contract tracing can provide more comfort and reassurance of customer and employee safety when reopening our economy, but not before building trust and buy-in.
  • Companies are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics retrieved from apps to monitor compliance, test hypotheses and evaluate the what-if scenarios to effectively prevent an infection hotspot and prepare for an outbreak situation.

Governments and businesses around the world are continuing to tap into technology to tackle COVID-19. Contact tracing is one solution that countries like China and South Korea have adopted to help slow the spread of the virus. Here in Canada, some provinces have already introduced their own contract tracing tools, like Alberta's ABTraceTogether app in use by 200,000 Albertans, while the federal government looks to gear up to launch a national app. The advantages may be obvious but more widespread adoption depends on governments and businesses building greater transparency and trust around the technology. Until then, many Canadians will continue to question whether the tool is worth the privacy trade-off.

Racing to trace

Bluetooth-enabled wristbands, like those from EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® alumni Connect&GO, and smartphone apps such as MIT’s COVID Safe Paths, use mobile data to monitor user movements. Individuals that volunteer their data to organizations make it possible to alert others who have come into close proximity with infected or symptomatic persons. But that’s not the only application of contact tracing technology.

Some businesses are piloting advanced contact tracing technologies to help mitigate the risk of transmission to their employees. Smartwatches, thermal imaging cameras and voice-activated controls for elevators and doors are among a handful of tools being used to replace high-touch items and detect proximity between workers to keep workspaces clean.

Meanwhile, other companies are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics retrieved from apps to monitor compliance, test hypotheses and evaluate the what-if scenarios to effectively prevent an infection hotspot and prepare for an outbreak situation.

These investments in contract tracing can provide more comfort and reassurance of customer and employee safety when reopening our economy, but not before building trust and buy-in.

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Rebooting trust

Just half of Canadians say they're willing to make their personal data more available to help monitor and track an infection cluster. And, more widespread acceptance of data sharing won’t happen overnight. Organizations must provide assurance that shared data will be used for personal protection—not for broader government surveillance—by being transparent about how they’re safeguarding data to comply with privacy regulations, including the Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), among others. Here are three ways companies can build or maintain trust with stakeholders when undertaking contact tracing:

  • Define data collection early: Start product planning by determining which types of data you can or will collect and put restrictions in place to avoid capturing unnecessary information that could compromise privacy.
  • Invest in systems and procedures: Inadequate systems and procedures for data can be more challenging than regulation. Organizations need to master data engineering tasks and management before they can capitalize on emerging technologies.
  • Evolve from compliance only: Organizations should go above and beyond compliance exercises and proactively address privacy and data protection efforts with all stakeholders to establish trust from the outset. Companies that foster and encourage two-way conversations are more likely to manage should data challenges arise down the road.

The growing demand for privacy and data protection will continue to increase in the foreseeable future as data driven technologies offer new capabilities to refuel the growth of Canadian businesses. We know that investing in contact tracing technology has the potential to accelerate the road to recovery, but to successfully develop trust in today’s unprecedented environment, employee education, privacy risk assessments and definitive controls must be properly embedded into every stage and facet of an organization.

What’s your advice for organizations looking to drive a trusted transition and future-focused transformation through and beyond this pandemic?

Summary

To successfully develop trust in today’s unprecedented environment, employee education, privacy risk assessments and definitive controls must be properly embedded into every stage and facet of an organization.

About this article

Biren Agnihotri
By Biren Agnihotri

Digital Engineering and AI & Data Leader, EY Canada

Driven by the possibilities of the future.

Related topics Technology Risk Consulting Automation AI
Upvote