Social organizations impose strict criteria on apps used to fight the corona crisis. These organizations, including Bits of Freedom and Waag formed an ad-hoc coalition designed to monitor the situation and only allow apps to be rolled out if they can be proven to be necessary and effective resources, and if the government can guarantee the protection of people’s security and privacy when they use the apps.

Trust in and support for the apps is a requirement. “This demands maximum transparency, security and privacy, independent supervision and no hidden ulterior motives (…),” according to Bart Jacobs, professor of computer security and chairman of the Privacy by Design Foundation (IRMA).