The use of mandatory digital contact tracing (DCT) devices to contain the COVID-19 pandemic : the case study of Singapore

• Main Author: Lee, Alvah Ming Chuan
• Other Authors: Sabrina Luk Ching Yuen
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Social sciences::Political science
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/154669
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Digital contact tracing (DCT) devices have been touted as a potential enabler for curbing the spread of COVID-19 in numerous countries. Yet, many governments have had to grapple with the issues of low uptake and participation rates which have limited the effectiveness of such interventions. This study examines the case of Singapore, which is at the forefront of the few countries that have resolutely implemented a nationwide DCT programme. It argues that public acceptance is a critical factor in determining DCT adoption rates and has far-reaching implications for the overall effectiveness of a national DCT policy. To understand the sentiments of the Singapore government and its resident populace towards the mandatory TraceTogether programme, the author employed stakeholder analysis to gather the perceptions of various constituents from Singapore’s adult population and used Sadler’s effectiveness framework to determine the overall effectiveness of such a measure.