The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) has prepared a Position Paper in which it calls for a very cautious and careful approach to the introduction of a coronavirus app. New digital technologies can bring many benefits to society. Their value has also been evident during the coronavirus crisis, but a critical assessment is also important.
It is crucial to follow a careful process. The WRR sees two main risks. The first is that decisions will be taken in haste. Such decisions may have long-term consequences that are harder to remedy and therefore leave no scope for an alternative approach. A second problem is that technologies are often viewed as a solution in isolation, without taking sufficient account of the context.
The Position Paper can be found here: