Today we published "Exit Through the App Store", a rapid evidence review of the technical considerations and societal implications of using tech to transition from the COVID-19 crisis.

A few key takeaways... 1/ https://twitter.com/AdaLovelaceInst/status/1252009330510934016

Technology is not a replacement for sound policy.

Technical solutions such as digital contact tracing and immunity certificates should only be used as part of holistic pandemic transition strategy. 2/

Actors other than scientific advisors should be involved in decision-making around the use of tech for COVID-19.

We recommend the establishment of the Group of Advisors on Technology in Emergencies (GATE) to examine the evidence base, make recommendations & oversee impact. 3/

Legal and technical sunset clauses must be built into the design of new powers and technologies.

An independent oversight mechanism should be established to lead scrutiny of the Government’s policy formulation and decision making in real-time. 4/

The significant technical limitations & deep social risks of digital contact tracing outweigh its value at this stage.

Pushing ahead with a contact tracing app before these limitations are addressed may undermine public trust, & impede the long term effectiveness of an app. 5/

Digital immunity certificates should not be rolled out until accurate and reliable immunity tests exist. Even then, a regime of immunity certification poses high risks in terms of social cohesion, discrimination, exclusion and vulnerability that will need to be mitigated. 6/

There is a lot more in the review, as this is an area of complex competing imperatives, values & trade offs. Our rapid evidence review seeks to surface these, not settle them, and to contribute to an informed public dialogue on the use of tech to transition from the crisis. 7/

The rapid evidence review was informed by the expertise of experts from a range of fields. Although they don't endorse the findings of the report, we're grateful for their support &guidance throughout the process: @lilianedwards @HelenMountfield @LinaDencik @mikarv @a_b_powell 8/

@PeteFussey @JeniT @rachelcoldicutt @RaviNa1k @lynskeyo @renatesamson @SusanMichie @Marion_InfoLaw @tkb and last but not least @peterkwells for helping us to write it!