Thematic Analysis of User Experience of Contact Tracing Applications for COVID-19 Using Twitter Data

This paper aims to explore Kuwaiti users' perspectives and experiences with Shlonik, the mandatory contact tracing application that was used during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 2,450 tweets about users' experiences was collected and thematically analyzed. The analysis used DeLone and McLean's information system success model to explore aspects of the degree to which this app can be judged a “success,” using parameters of system quality and service quality. A novel finding identified by this qualitative study was the significance of themes identified in the analysis such as social privacy (timing, privacy, and female privacy, which are related to the cultural and religious norms of Kuwait) and technical privacy (related to data protection). The research identified significant conflict with cultural and social norms in users' experience of the Shlonik app – factors not normally identified or discussed in existing literature. This research supports a need for improved strategies and designs in future m-government applications in developing countries.