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.
Government Covid-19 tracking app
Q. The Federal Government is developing an app to help stop the spread of Covid-19. The TraceTogether app will track a person’s movements by GPS and record if that person comes into contact with someone who is Covid-19 positive.
People have to voluntarily opt-in to download the app onto their mobile phones before their movements can be tracked. Once logged in, the app would track you wherever you went.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about this proposed technology?
| NET: Agree | NET: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | |
| I would be uncomfortable if the government was able to track all my movements via an app on my mobile phone | 57% | 23% | 28% | 29% | 21% | 13% | 10% |
| This app would help limit the spread of Covid-19 | 52% | 17% | 17% | 34% | 32% | 10% | 7% |
| This app would speed up the removal of physical distancing restrictions | 42% | 18% | 13% | 29% | 39% | 11% | 7% |
| I would download this app onto my mobile phone | 38% | 33% | 15% | 23% | 28% | 14% | 19% |
| I would be concerned with the security of my personal data if this app was on my phone | 63% | 17% | 32% | 31% | 20% | 11% | 6% |
| I’m confident the government will not misuse any data it collects about me via the app | 35% | 36% | 12% | 23% | 29% | 19% | 17% |
- 38% of people agree (strongly/somewhat) that they would download the proposed app to track the spread of Covid-19, 33% of the population disagree.
- Younger people aged 18-34 are more likely to agree they would download the app (44%) than those aged over 35 (35%). 18-34 year olds are also more likely to agree that the app would help stop the spread of the disease (47%) than those aged over 35 (40%).
- There are security and privacy concerns about the app, with 63% concerned about the security of their personal data. 57% are uncomfortable with the government tracking movements and just 35% confident the government can be trusted not to misuse collected data.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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