BeepTrace: Blockchain-Enabled Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing for COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Public Health
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for digital contact tracing tools.
• Public privacy concerns have hindered the adoption of mobile contact tracing applications.
• Existing solutions often struggle with balancing effective tracing with user privacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce BeepTrace, a novel blockchain-enabled privacy-preserving contact tracing scheme.
• To address the privacy bottleneck in current digital contact tracing solutions.
• To facilitate the development and deployment of effective digital contact tracing applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing blockchain technology to bridge users and authorized solvers.
• Implementing a desensitization mechanism for user ID and location data.
• Designing a system that is battery-friendly and globally accessible.

Main Results:

• BeepTrace offers enhanced security and privacy compared to existing solutions.
• The scheme demonstrates viability in terms of server and mobile phone resource requirements.
• The solution effectively mitigates public privacy concerns regarding contact tracing.

Conclusions:

• BeepTrace provides a robust framework for developing and deploying digital contact tracing applications.
• The system's privacy-preserving nature can increase public trust and application uptake.
• BeepTrace supports global collaboration and integration with existing tracing technologies.