Dr. Netina Tan received FSS Catalyst Grant to Research Contact Tracing Apps in Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea

Dr. Netina Tan (PI) is amongst six scholars who have received the Faculty of Social Sciences 2020 COVID-19 Catalyst Grant to compare the legal provisions and practices adopted in the use of contact tracing and quarantine enforcement mechanisms in Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea. There are long-term legal, empirical, policy and security implications in the use of surveillance technology even after the pandemic is under control. If left unchecked, the pandemic surveillance and information control technology may be normalized post-pandemic, fundamentally altering the future of privacy, security and civil rights. To assess the implications of the use of digital technology, Tan’s research will investigate the legal constraints on the governing authorities and digital platforms in using surveillance technology during and post pandemic in the three countries. Additionally, it will also examine the implications of the governments and digital platforms’ new surveillance powers on the global rise of digital authoritarianism. For more, see website.