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BACKGROUND The main German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) have implemented digital contact tracing apps to assist the authorities\' COVID-19 containment strategies. Low user rates can impact contact tracing and thus the ability to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the early perceptions of people living in the German-speaking area and compare them with frames as portrayed by newspapers during the first pandemic wave. METHODS Qualitative interviews were conducted with 159 participants in the SolPan project. A total of 110 participants discussed contact tracing applications and were included in this study. Articles regarding contact tracing applications from 12 newspapers in the German-speaking area were analyzed. RESULTS Interview participants and newspaper coverage in all German-speaking countries perceived and framed contact tracing apps as governmental surveillance tools and embedded them in a broader context of technological surveillance. Participants identified trust in authorities, respect of individual privacy, voluntariness, and temporary use of contact tracing apps as prerequisites for democratic compatibility. Newspaper commonly gave references to the use of such apps in Asian countries, emphasizing the differences in privacy regulation between these countries. CONCLUSIONS The uptake of digital contact tracing apps in German-speaking countries may be undermined due to privacy risks that are not compensated by potential benefits, and that are rooted in a deeper skepticism towards digital tools. When authorities plan on implementing new digital tools and practices in the future, they should be very transparent and proactive in communicating the objectives, the contribution of the technology, and how it differs from other, possibly similar, tools. It is also important to publicly address ethical, legal, and social issues related to such technologies prior to their launch. CLINICALTRIAL
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