Tracking AIDS: Public Safety vs. Individual Privacy

Recent developments in Indonesia are raising questions about the ethical limits of new technology. Lawmakers in the eastern province of Papua are very close to passing a law mandating that “sexually aggressive” individuals with HIV/AIDS be implanted with microchip trackers. Authorities argue that the microchips would help control the spread of the virus in a part of the world with one of the highest rates of new infections (in Papua, 2% of the adult population is infected with HIV).  By their logic, the chips would help police track and arrest individual who deliberately spread HIV. AIDS activists are crying foul, however, arguing that it is impossible to determine whether someone has spread the virus on purpose.  Nancy Fee, a UNAIDS coordinator, points out that similar policies in other countries have only demonized a certain segment of the population and forced the issue of HIV/AIDS underground. Experts argue that local authorities should focus their efforts on increasing awareness and promoting safe practices.

It also raises questions over where to draw the line between public safety and individual privacy. As technology creeps into every nook and cranny of our every day lives, this distinction will become increasingly relevant. Click here for another ethical discussion on whether or not it should be illegal to spread HIV.