More than half of students are unhappy with the idea of downloading the NHS track and trace app, according to research by Student Hut.
23% of students said they were not planning to download the app, while a further 33% said they were unsure if they would.
Students raised concerns over data privacy and the government having access to their personal information, as well as the overall effectiveness of the app. One student said: “I don’t want the government to misuse my personal data”.
Moreover, only 2% of students think the government is currently handling the COVID-19 crisis ‘very effectively’. This is a decline on last week’s result (6%), suggesting that students feel that the government’s handling of the crisis is worsening.
“We know from previous research that the vast majority of students would like to return to university if appropriate safety measures were put in place, so these findings are particularly important for universities who plan on utilising the Test and Trace app as part of their approach to re-opening”, said Katherine Nicholls, Director of Research at Student Hut.
The findings have come from a project to track student opinion and attitudes during the COVID-19 crisis.
The project will provide weekly updates showing the change in student attitudes from the UK’s most engaged and diverse student panel, taken from an audience of one million users and over 150,000 subscribers.
For press enquiries, please contact Nicola Jones [email protected] or call +44 (0)1273 734640. You can find previous Student Hut press releases and media coverage about the COVID-tracker here.
