JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

This perspective explores the potential role of Blockchain technology in algorithmic contact tracing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to discover the advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of algorithmic contact tracing systems as decentralized applications on a Blockchain. We approach this by discussing the small but growing body of research on Blockchain-based pandemic response systems to derive an archetypal system architecture. We argue that private Blockchain systems can reasonably serve as components of algorithmic contact tracing systems but do not provide significant benefits over centrally managed architectures. Furthermore, we argue that public Blockchain systems, when operating in adversarial environments, can support the integrity of tracing records but present a risk to their privacy with no clear additional benefit. To prioritize information privacy over data integrity, we do not advise the operation of contact tracing systems in which tracing data is replicated via public Blockchains. We conclude that neither public nor private Blockchain-based contact tracing systems provide significant benefits over conventional architectures, as currently proposed, and that Blockchains might be better deployed for other important public health use cases in the context of COVID-19.