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To not download the contact tracing app

320 replies

Ghostlyglow · 02/05/2020 19:53

When it becomes available. How many people will?

OP posts:
LilacTree1 · 03/05/2020 14:22

“ There are plenty of women who have left abusive relationships who would be placed in real danger by that.”

Yes. I’ve a friend who had a row with her workplace about being publicly listed as staff on their website.

She decided to agree and within two days the ex turned up at the office.

LilacTree1 · 03/05/2020 14:23

“ According to the piece both Apple and android are working to include it in their software so you might not have a choice about using it.”

people can choose to ditch their smartphone.

Hoggleludo · 03/05/2020 14:31

@echt

That lady is correct

Everything has a backdoor. Everything. Google. Facebook. CIA agencies. Apps. Oh my gosh. Any webpage. Anything on a computer. Has to have a backdoor. It's impossible to build a 100% fully bulletproof website. App. Anything held on any computer system. Anything.

This is how hackers work. This is how security consultants work. They find the backdoor. Government systems. They all have a backdoor.

Nothing is 100% safe. I mean CIA and the lot. Of government systems will be 99.99999999999% safe. But there is always that 0.0000"001 chance that someone could access the backdoor.

What an unfortunate word. I always felt that b

BirdieFriendReturns · 03/05/2020 14:33

Due to security at work, I am not allowed my phone on the floor plate in the building I work in. It has to be put into a locker. So pointless me having it!

DH and I are careful with security due to our jobs.

PerkingFaintly · 03/05/2020 14:35

To the best of my knowledge (which is out of date), audio phone calls from ordinary folk in the UK are not routinely listened to by the UK government. Obviously in the case of an investigation, police could get a warrant to tap a phone of a named person.

What happens with hi-tech communications, now that there is so much voice-recognition, is more open to question and the technology is shifting all the time.

So obviously if you have Siri, you know that it is listening to you. Supposedly if functioning properly it listens but ignores you until you use the wake-word. Obviously there's lots of scope for Siri to be misused in many ways. (My concept of what constitutes misuse may well be the tech companies' idea of normal use...)

This is a really big subject, and I don't want to take over the thread. You'll find quite a lot to read if you look up "surveillance capitalism". Shoshana Zuboff's book The Age of Surveillance Capital has been recommended, but I haven't read it yet.

But in a nutshell, personal data is the new oil.

Article on the book here might be of interest to you:
'The goal is to automate us': welcome to the age of surveillance capitalism
www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/20/shoshana-zuboff-age-of-surveillance-capitalism-google-facebook

“Surveillance capitalism,” she writes, “unilaterally claims human experience as free raw material for translation into behavioural data. Although some of these data are applied to service improvement, the rest are declared as a proprietary behavioural surplus, fed into advanced manufacturing processes known as ‘machine intelligence’, and fabricated into prediction products that anticipate what you will do now, soon, and later. Finally, these prediction products are traded in a new kind of marketplace that I call behavioural futures markets. Surveillance capitalists have grown immensely wealthy from these trading operations, for many companies are willing to lay bets on our future behaviour.”

LilacTree1 · 03/05/2020 14:39

Perking thank you so much.

ProfessorSlocombe · 03/05/2020 14:44

RIPA has already removed the (already dangerously thin) protection of client-lawyer confidentiality. With the backing of the Law Lords.

Just one destination you can reach when you don't have a written constitution and a population who don't care.

You might argue that a lot of Americans don't understand their own constitution. But at least they know what it is.

Eyewhisker · 03/05/2020 14:45

Of course. I care more about saving lives and seeing my parents and friends than someone knowing my very mundane movements. Once the crisis is over, I will delete it.

BeetrootRocks · 03/05/2020 14:46

A lot of really interesting info on here thanks.

I had no idea of the extent of (what I would see as) RIPA misuse.

PerkingFaintly · 03/05/2020 15:04

I care more about saving lives

So do I. That's why I'm concerned about the potential other uses of this data.

You can kill a lot of people by underfunding a health service for years, or making decisions to close – or not close – a country during a pandemic, or to remove healthcare from people who arrived here as children 50 years ago but can't prove they're now British citizens. You can also kill a lot of people by having wars.

It really, really matters what sort of government we have (I don't just mean which party). When our data can be used to influence elections, or to whip up mobs, or to scapegoat groups of people... then make no mistake, lives are in the balance.

I don't know whether this app will turn out to be a good thing or bad thing on balance. The devil will be in the detail of how the data's used.

Sorry, I know that's not helpful to say...

Malbecfan · 03/05/2020 15:06

What happens if there is no signal to your phone with this app? Genuine question as I live in a rural area. Someone could easily be < 2m away from me, but almost 1m of that is thick stone walls. And as someone else said, Bluetooth drains your battery. My battery is already on its last legs

PerkingFaintly · 03/05/2020 15:09

Just announced! Shall be watching this with great interest.

Coronavirus: Contact tracing app to be trialled on Isle of Wight
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52521526

It will be the first place where the new contact-tracing app will be used before being rolled out more widely this month, said Grant Shapps.

towne2 · 03/05/2020 15:10

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Standupthisisnotateaparty · 03/05/2020 15:13

I won't be downloading. Mainly because it makes me SO ANGRY that this app is only just happening now and not 4 months ago when the government were warned about coronavirus

This has even less logic that the op

DGRossetti · 03/05/2020 15:21

I will do, anyone that doesn't is helping to spread the virus and kill people.

So we need to arrest anyone who doesn't download the app ?

Servers · 03/05/2020 15:24

Due to security at work, I am not allowed my phone on the floor plate in the building I work in. It has to be put into a locker. So pointless me having it! DH and I are careful with security due to our jobs

But not careful enough to not post this online, which along with the fact you have previously said you go into work because you cannot access one of the systems you need at home suggests you have DV clearance or the like. Doh. Also if someone at work had it in likliehood there would be a way of cascading that information, it is more useful when out and about.

DGRossetti · 03/05/2020 15:38

A lot of contact centre jobs ban phones from the workplace. Which would rather reduce if not eliminate the effectiveness of the "app", since it's meant to be tracking contacts 24/7.

BirdieFriendReturns · 03/05/2020 15:39

Servers - I use a VPN and a different email address and change quite a few details in what I post...

BirdieFriendReturns · 03/05/2020 15:41

Still not downloading an app...

www.wired.co.uk/article/china-social-credit-system-explained

Coming to country near you!!

BrightYellowDaffodil · 03/05/2020 15:41

Not a chance. The prospect of tracking data was bad enough (I don’t care if Apple know where I am and who I’m with, but not the government) but that an associate of Cummings’ is involved means I will absolutely not be downloading the app unless it’s mandatory and even then it would only go on my spare phone.

towne2 · 03/05/2020 15:47

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BirdieFriendReturns · 03/05/2020 15:50

Being called a selfish fucker makes me even less likely to download it. As if some random on Mumsnet is going to tell me what to do.

towne2 · 03/05/2020 15:51

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ThrowingGoodAfterBad · 03/05/2020 15:53

I’m not happy about downloading this app either. The British government is not one I trust, nor do I trust who they’re likely to sell info on to either. I expect they will sell what they can on. Watching news on it and awaiting developments.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 03/05/2020 15:58

Well easing lockdown will be contingent on the vast majority accepting and using the app (90% was mentioned yesterday) so if enough people won't use it lockdown will last longer won't it?