Unveiling the Role of Perceived Usefulness and Privacy Concerns in the Intention to Use COVID-19 Contact Tracing Apps

Abstract

In the fight against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the biggest challenges the world faces are to contain the spread of the virus and to find effective solutions to reduce the harsh effects of the crisis on health, economic and social aspects. Experts suggest that the contact tracing of cases is the best alternative to traditional measures to limit transmission and control the epidemic. The Moroccan government has released the Wiqaytna mobile application to identify and manage people who have been exposed to the virus. However, Moroccan citizens are still reluctant to accepting and using such technology. This paper attempts to identify factors predicting the acceptance of using contact tracing mobile apps in Morocco. To do, 717 Moroccan citizens were surveyed. Results of the structural equation modeling methods revealed that perceived usefulness is the most significant determinant predicting the acceptance of the Wiqaytna mobile app by Moroccans.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Contact Tracing Apps
• Technology Acceptance
• Perceived Usefulness
• Privacy Concerns
• mHealth Mobile Apps