Digital contact tracking: a threat to civil liberty or a moral obligation?

 
PIIS023620070020515-3-1
DOI10.31857/S023620070020515-3
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Affiliation: National Research University “Higher School of Economics”
Address: 16 Soyuza Pechatnikov Street, St. Petersburg 190121, Russian Federation
Journal nameChelovek
EditionVolume 33 Issue 3
Pages107-118
Abstract

The paper focuses on the ethical dilemmas related to the technology of digital contact tracing (DCT). The author reviewed existing arguments and offers a new classification of approaches to this problem. Ethical justifications to implementation of DCT can be divided into utilitarian and conditional (deontological) approaches. The author tries to prove that the conditional approach is more effective, and it might become the basis for the ethical analysis of specific public health decisions. In conclusion, it demonstrates that the conditional (deontological) approach to the ethical justification of DCT might be used in the discussion about digital vaccination passports (DVP).

KeywordsDeontology, Utilitarianism, Vaccination passports, COVID-19, Civil liberties, Public trust, Information Technologies
Received16.06.2022
Publication date24.06.2022
Number of characters19652
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