Page 12 - ISQ UK Aprl 2020

Authorities in China – and some other countries in the region – used
national identity cards, app and GPS monitoring data not only to
observe if lockdown restrictions were being adhered to, but also to
help agents trace the potentially infected. Put all of this together
and the invisible enemy becomes a little more visible.
To western sensibilities who have grown up on notions of liberty,
equality and fraternity, this approach may appear a little bit too ‘Big
Brother’ for their liking. Certainly such data applications raise a
myriad of privacy concerns but in the narrow - but sadly hugely
recently impacting - world of pandemic virus control, it has proved
immensely helpful.
Naturally the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the KEY TAKEAWAYS:
economies of East Asia, especially in the form of ‘imported’ cases, • China (and some other countries in East Asia) are
often from citizens returning from work or study in western countries. emerging from the COVID-19 crisis;
Consumers are still struggling to fully return to their pre-crisis habits, • Big data is at the heart of the region’s seemingly
and business owners remain mindful of both local disruption and successful pushing back against the virus threat;
international lockdowns, but the broad tone is far closer to the
historic norm than anywhere else in the world. Expect therefore • Such data applications raise a myriad of privacy
western governments to copy other elements of the East Asian concerns but in the narrow world of pandemic virus
playbook to aid their battle against COVID-19. However, such a control, it has proved immensely helpful;
partial adoption probably also means one other harsh reality: the • The speed of East Asia’s return to normality should
speed of East Asia’s return to normality should probably not be probably not be naively applied to the western world.
naively applied to the western world too.

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