A House Divided: How U.S. Politics Could Shape Contact-Tracing Adoption in Future Pandemics

Contact tracing has shown to be an effective tool in limiting the spread of transmittable diseases in countries where it is widely adopted. During the COVID-19 pandemic, contact tracing app adoption in the United States was low despite having the highest number of recorded cases worldwide. To better understand why, we conducted a survey (N=302, matched to U.S. census demographics) and found that political orientation overwhelmingly predicted attitudes towards COVID-19 and the adoption of contact tracing apps. These attitudes also overwhelmingly shaped people’s willingness to participate in contact tracing for diseases in future pandemics. Our findings suggest that the politically charged environment surrounding COVID-19 in the U.S. may have a long-term impact on American’s willingness to utilize contact tracing for diseases in future pandemics. We conclude with recommendations for technology designers and policymakers on how to overcome the sharp divide that has been driven by the political discourse in the U.S.