Sorry, contact-tracing apps are not coming to the rescue

We've been primed to believe that technology will save us.

Every year, new gadgets, apps, and digital tchotchkes promise to ease the burdens of modern life. Now, with the coronavirus having killed over a quarter of a million and counting, the latest hero riding in to save the day comes in the form of contact-tracing apps.

Unfortunately for all who've pinned their hopes on this particular technological fix, even if the scores of different apps released into the wild or in the development pipeline work as promised — and that's a big if — it's unclear if contact-tracing apps will ever be anything more than a supplement to a national, human-run, contact-tracing program. A program we do not currently have. Read more...

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