COVID-19 International Privacy Survey

For CMU course 17-633, my team and I conducted an international privacy survey across the USA, India, China, and Africa. We measured privacy attitudes across various COVID-19 related topics over a 5 point Likert scale. A link to our final paper is included at the link below.

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new forms of data, regulation, and public health policy in a remarkably short period of time. Our work finds that individuals across the United States, Africa, China, and India are more willing to surrender private information in exchange for access to public activities. Furthermore, our results demonstrate findings that reveal the sociopolitical divide within the United States generated by the polarization of the COVID-19 pandemic. With an overwhelming majority of respondents in favor of a vaccine mandate from their government or employer as well as agreeing to disclose their vaccination status to engage in social activity, it is clear that those surveyed are willing to take measures that allow them to safely engage in socialization. We assert that the underlying need for connection and social activity within human behavior should be a critical consideration that informs policy decisions related to COVID-19. It is the responsibility of public health officials to protect those that they serve. In order to do so effectively, policy must be adopted in ways that cater both to safety and base human needs.