Tackling Privacy Concerns in Contact Tracing Apps

Abstract

Angela DeMarco was a semi-finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Angela presented the research titled “Tackling Privacy Concerns in Contact Tracing Apps.” Contact tracing apps can slow the spread of infectious diseases when widely adopted, but in practice, these apps have experienced low adoption. Privacy concerns for contact tracing apps are a significant deterrent for non-adopters. My work brings together diverse expertise and perspectives to explore how these concerns can be best addressed to promote understanding and adoption. Angela DeMarco is completing a MSc in Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science under the supervision of Drs. Joanna McGrenere and Aastha Mehta. #3MT is an academic competition that assists current graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. Participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience. For more information or to participate in UBC’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) visit https://3mt.grad.ubc.ca.