Responsible innovation needed during pandemic, says Professor Simon Joss

UBDC’s Associate Director for Policy engagement and Urban Governance research lead, Professor Simon Joss, was interviewed for an article on The Globe and Mail website.

The piece, entitled ‘Brief home quarantine order for foreign residents in Beijing prompts questions about digital pandemic governance’, examines the use of digital tools and technological solutions to manage large populations during a pandemic.

When referring to China's approach, Simon is quoted as saying "I don’t think China’s approach to public monitoring and tracking would be acceptable to the public in many other countries, for obvious data protection and civil liberties reasons.”

He went on to say that "It’s seen as the potential way out of the current lockdown – so people are hoping that these various apps might allow us to get back to normal life". He also stressed the need for "responsible innovation" to take place, which is driven by "civic interest" rather than by the data needs of governments and corporations.

The full article is available on The Globe and Mail website.