NHS app to track coronavirus infections

[Shehz21]

www.politicshome.com/news/article/ministers-hope-nhs-app-can-help-lift-lockdown-by-tracking-coronavirus-infections

It would only work if 60% of the population dowloaded it.

Would you?

Bump?

Yes I will

I want to look into it to understand what the data protection looks like as it tracks your movements and everyone you come into contact with. They said they're publishing the source code and I'm a software developer so I'll check it out.

I think it's a good idea assuming they are able to put in appropriate security around the data.

Yes, probably

Surely this would only work if they do much more testing?

In theory yes, I will wait until people like twohopes have checked it out though

Nope. Not straight off.

Firstly theres the data protection iss.

Secondly, I can imagine that (while this app may have merits) lots of people with mental health problems, especially anxiety, may actually find this quite harmful.

Yes. Assuming it’s secure etc...

If it was teamed with mass testing do we know for sure its corona then yes

Nope. I wont.
Not with the track record the government in hmdling that sort of data.
Not when its about following all my whereabouts.

Im not keen on what is basically the tool of a surveillance sate being implemented wo any system in place to avoid 'overusing it' (for want of a better word).

I would if I was going out the house mixing with people, certainly. As it is I know all the people I'm in contact with for 15 minutes or more as I live with them, so it doesn't seem necessary. But if it would help to keep infections down whilst allowing the government to relax lockdown a bit, then definitely yes. I don't really care if there are any privacy violations - I'm not going anywhere I shouldn't be.

No. It said it uses bluetooth. If I use that, my phone battery dies in around half an hour...

I'd feel a lot safer if everyone used it. There are privacy issues, but it could provide a genuine middle path between "lives" and "the economy". On the other hand, if not executed properly, it could just be a mess that lulled people into a false sense of security and had all the data protection negatives and none of the safety positives.

I don't really care if there are any privacy violations - I'm not going anywhere I shouldn't be.

Neither am I. Doesnt mean I wish to be tracked by the government.

And what happens when this is over, will they still track people then?

What happens to your personal information? Sold on? Leaked somewhere?

Why people are eager to give up any privacy, without asking how it's going to work, is beyond me.

Exactly, Bluetooth being the connection makes me think not. I, and probably many others, only switch on Bluetooth when wanting to connect with something, eg fitness watch.

No way! Apart from tracking location constantly it would cane the battery.

I assume that when it's over you can remove the app from your phone

If its going to show me when someone with Covid19 is nearby then yes, i'll use it.

Without getting too technical, there are ways you could do this while maintaining security over the data. However, until we see the code we won't know how they're doing it and the government doesn't have a great track record on this (nor do any of the major tech companies).

I thought this was a good read on the issues at stake:
www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2020/04/12/contact-tracing-in-the-real-world/

I assume that when it's over you can remove the app from your phone

I wouldn't assume anything. Most apps have tons of permissions to access things, like your camera, for no reasonable at all.

I would want to know you can uninstall it and it not longer has access to your handset.

As I said, it's not a no. It's a not at the moment.

I thought it wasn't going to track your location at all. It was going to exchange a code with other phones that were in close enough proximity for a certain amount of time, and then if someone registered that they had symptoms, a message could be sent to all those phones that had the code of the ill person's.

I don't know how well it would work in terms of contaminated surfaces - eg., if you were on a tube carriage directly after someone who had it, you wouldn't get any messages, but might be at a fair bit of risk.

People would also need to be able to get tested even with minor symptoms (or eventually, even if asymptomatic), and it doesn't sound like there will be the capacity for that for ages.

Some of us have phones so old we can't upload any more apps to them...

@Bimbleberries becuse there was also the talk about them adding a 'feature' that would warn you if you have been out of the house for more than one hour..... apparently that was going to be helpful for peope to remember not to stay outside too long.

Absolutely. I can't see how we're to be able to keep COVID-19 suppressed without something like this.

I really don't get the privacy concerns - could somebody please spell out to me exactly what you're worried about? And those who are worried - do you use Facebook?

I'll download it.