Introduction: Many countries currently have the possibility of using digital eHealth tools to track COVID-19, based on artificial intelligence technology or other digital resources, as a public health surveillance strategy. Its risks and ethical implications before, during and after these implementations have generated controversy and concern worldwide. Methods: An Ethnography for the Internet focused on exploring the perceptions in social networks about the government use of mobile applications for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia as a surveillance strategy in public health during the period from March 2020 to March 2021. This exploration covered different digital spaces with a special approach to users of the social network Twitter; as well as a critical analysis of the national application CoronApp and the perceptions expressed by citizens within this virtual space. Results: 240 applications were identified in online stores and 20 in different websites, which were manually filtered applying the objectives and exclusion criteria of the study. Finding that CoronApp was the most frequently commented application, which allowed an analysis of citizen perceptions and the government's commitment to the use of mobile applications for the "digital control" of the pandemic. Discussion and conclusion: To date, no technological strategy, by itself, has demonstrated total effectiveness in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 infection, which is why it is necessary to have minimum requirements for its implementation in Public Health and the constant discussion about the risks of digital surveillance strategies implemented by governments. Keywords (DeCS): COVID-19, Public Health Surveillance, Social Network, CoronApp, eHealth.