Liang Fan
University of Michigan, USA.
Soc Media Soc. 2020 Aug 11;6(3):2056305120947657. doi: 10.1177/2056305120947657. eCollection 2020 Jul.
As COVID-19 is rapidly spreading around the world, some countries have launched or plan to implement contact-tracing apps to detect exposure risks. In China, the government relies on Health Code, developed by Alipay and WeChat, for identifying people potentially exposed to COVID-19. The color-based code can determine people's exposure risks and freedom of movement based on factors like travel history, duration of time spent in risky areas, and relationships to potential carriers. This essay discusses the rise of Health Code from a platform perspective, arguing that digital platforms are key players conducting health surveillance and mediating state-citizen relations in China. More importantly, tracing apps might become a normal practice in many countries, suggesting that platforms will be substantially adopted for health surveillance.
随着新冠疫情在全球迅速蔓延，一些国家已推出或计划实施接触者追踪应用程序以检测接触风险。在中国，政府依靠支付宝和微信开发的健康码来识别可能接触新冠病毒的人员。这种基于颜色的健康码能够根据旅行史、在风险区域停留的时长以及与潜在感染者的接触关系等因素，确定人们的接触风险和行动自由。本文从平台的角度探讨了健康码的兴起，认为数字平台是中国进行健康监测和调解国家与公民关系的关键角色。更重要的是，追踪应用程序可能会在许多国家成为常态做法，这表明平台将被大量用于健康监测。
