Surveilling indigenous communities in a time of pandemic

Abstract

Ongoing racism continues to violently impact on the cultures, lands, and bodies of Indigenous Peoples. While many health researchers are meeting the ethical challenges in working with Indigenous communities, this commentary draws attention to the often-uncritical adaption or use of digital tools. Many digital technologies, deliberately or accidently, lend themselves to overt or covert surveillance of communities. Indigenous resistance to surveillance must be understood in the context of colonization, and reassurances must be provided if the benefits of new technologies are to be fully realized for better Indigenous health outcomes.