Thermal cameras, mask wearing detectors, drones, virtual consultations… The French approve of the use of new technologies to fight against the coronavirus, but not under any condition.
- If the French massively support the use of modern technologies to fight the epidemic, they prefer that they remain under human supervision.
Ninety-three percent of French people think so and 50% are even certain*: the barrier measures will still have to be respected for several months. Therefore, they support the specific measures to fight against the epidemic. Three-quarters of them (74%) say they are in favor of the use of autonomous thermal cameras to detect fever at the entrance to stores, in airports and in businesses.
Mask wear detectors in transport
Sixty-four percent support the installation of detectors for wearing a mask in transport or in pharmacies. Even the use of drones, challenged by the Council of State, to monitor very busy areas is approved by a majority of French people (55%).
The coronavirus epidemic has also exploded virtual consultations: 486,369 teleconsultations were billed to Health Insurance during the week of March 23 to 29. “This figure illustrates the exponential growth experienced in teleconsultations since the announcement of confinement: Health Insurance counted less than 10,000 per week until the beginning of March, then 80,000 the week of March 16, the first week of confinement. Teleconsultations now constitute more than 11% of all consultations compared to less than 1% before the crisis”, notes Social Security.
The flop of the Stop Covid app
If the French massively support the use of modern technologies to fight the epidemic, they prefer that they remain under human supervision. Thus, 68% of our fellow citizens have more confidence in human intervention with the use of technological tools rather than tools used independently (31%).
Figures that can be linked to the flop of the Stop Covid application, weighed down by fear of access to personal data. Last Monday, June 22, the French contact case tracking application had been downloaded 1.9 million times on Apple and Android smartphones, before being activated by 1.8 million users.
*Source: 16and edition of the “Barometer Fiduciary of the safety of the French people” carried out by Odoxa.
