Digital technology solutions for contact tracing, quarantine enforcement (digital fences) and
movement permission (digital leashes), and social distancing/movement monitoring have
been proposed and rolled-out to aid the containment and delay phases of the coronavirus and
mitigate against second and third waves of infections. In this essay, I examine numerous
examples of deployed and planned technology solutions from around the world, assess their
technical and practical feasibility and potential to make an impact, and explore the dangers of
tech-led approaches vis-a-vis civil liberties, citizenship, and surveillance capitalism. I make
the case that the proffered solutions for contact tracing and quarantining and movement
permissions are unlikely to be effective and pose a number of troubling consequences,
wherein the supposed benefits will not outweigh potential negative costs. If these concerns
are to be ignored and the technologies deployed, I argue that they need to be accompanied by
mass testing and certification, and require careful and transparent use for public health only,
utilizing a privacy-by-design approach with an expiration date, proper oversight, due
processes, and data minimization that forbids data sharing, repurposing and monetization.