The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • May, 2020

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    Attitudes towards the tracing app

    Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with these statements about the suggested COVIDSafe app?

      TOTAL: Agree TOTAL: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree, nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree
    This app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 55% 20% 20% 34% 25% 11% 9%
    This app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions 48% 21% 15% 33% 31% 14% 7%
    I would be concerned with the security of my personal data if this app was on my phone 47% 29% 23% 24% 24% 17% 12%
    I’m confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects about me via the app 45% 31% 18% 27% 24% 17% 13%
    I’m confident the government will not misuse any data it collects about me via the app 44% 29% 18% 27% 26% 16% 13%
    I would be comfortable being in close contact with others who didn’t have the app 39% 25% 13% 26% 37% 16% 9%

     

    TOTAL: Agree   Gender Age Group
    Total Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+
    This app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 55% 55% 54% 49% 51% 63%
    This app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions 48% 50% 47% 45% 48% 51%
    I would be concerned with the security of my personal data if this app was on my phone 47% 47% 47% 49% 54% 39%
    I’m confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects about me via the app 45% 47% 44% 42% 44% 49%
    I’m confident the government will not misuse any data it collects about me via the app 44% 45% 43% 39% 42% 51%
    I would be comfortable being in close contact with others who didn’t have the app 39% 42% 36% 40% 41% 35%
    Base (n) 1,067 532 535 341 341 385

     

    TOTAL: Agree Federal Voting Intention
    Labor Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
    This app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 55% 64% 44% 44%
    This app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions 47% 57% 40% 37%
    I would be concerned with the security of my personal data if this app was on my phone 54% 38% 53% 57%
    I’m confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects about me via the app 43% 58% 25% 35%
    I’m confident the government will not misuse any data it collects about me via the app 40% 56% 33% 33%
    I would be comfortable being in close contact with others who didn’t have the app 43% 40% 31% 44%
    Base (n) 306 418 86 143
    • Less than half agree that they are confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects (45%) and not misuse that data (44%).
    • 55% agree the app would help limit the spread of Covid-19, 48% agree it would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions and 39% would be comfortable being in close contact with others who don’t have the app.
    • 47% are concerned with the security of their personal data if this app was on their phone.
  • Apr, 2020

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    Attitudes towards the tracing app

    Q. The Federal Government is developing an app to trace people who test positive for Covid-19 have been in contact with. The app wouldn’t track your location, but it would use Bluetooth to record any other phones around you who also had had this app. If you then tested positive for Covid-19, an identifier would allow government officials to find anyone else who may have been exposed Covid-19.

    To what extent do you agree or disagree with these statements about the suggested Covid-19 tracing app?

      NET: Agree NET: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree
    I would be concerned with the security of my personal data if this app was on my phone 57% 22% 28% 28% 21% 14% 8%
    This app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 53% 18% 20% 33% 29% 10% 8%
    This app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions 46% 20% 14% 32% 34% 11% 9%
    I’m confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects about me via the app 41% 30% 12% 29% 29% 14% 16%
    I would download this app onto my mobile phone 40% 32% 17% 23% 28% 12% 20%

     

    NET: Agree   Voting Intention
    Total Labor NET: Coalition Greens NET: Other
    I would be concerned with the security of my personal data if this app was on my phone 57% 64% 48% 60% 66%
    This app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 53% 49% 63% 52% 45%
    This app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions 46% 44% 54% 43% 33%
    I’m confident the government will adequately protect any data it collects about me via the app 41% 35% 53% 31% 33%
    I would download this app onto my mobile phone 40% 36% 47% 45% 29%
    Base (n) 1,054 327 402 93 129
    • 57% of participants agree that they would be concerned with the security of their personal data if this app was on my phone and 40% agree that they would download the app.
    • 53% agree that the app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 and another 46% agree that the app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions.
    • Only 41% agree that they are confident that the government will adequately protect any data it collects about via the app.
    • Broadly, Coalition voters are more likely to agree with positive statements about the app and its data security.
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