Will you sign up for the NHS contact tracing app?

[Runningfar]

I can't see any reason why I wouldn't. Has anyone got any concerns about it?

Yes as a trade off for leaving lockdown.

I'm sure I've given Google everything anyway unwittingly at some point or other.

I feel as though I'm somewhat tracked already. I mean I have a smart phone, my employer knows when I've been online, I pay buy card, the government are tracking our transport usage and footfall.

I don't think we are as free as we like to believe, and this pandemic has shown up some of that. But do our government have sinister intentions? They told the police to lay off and haven't gone for a strict lockdown like other countries.

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To your first point: that's all voluntary, so no cause for complaint in this context.

To your second point: who knows. Weird that so many people were convinced that Johnson is a megalomanic dictator over his proroguing of Parliament, but are not worried about this. And I thought that he had a scary eugenics enthusiast deputy in charge (Cumnings). And I thought they were selling off the NHS to the USA so that they could create a private health care system here, just like in the USA. And would use Brexit to roll back human rights.

What's happened?

They told the police to lay off and haven't gone for a strict lockdown like other countries.

They told the police to back off because they were acting outside the guidelines. Like telling people they couldn't be in their front gardens, or couldn't buy anything but basic food products.

Also they didn't want 100% compliance. They do need people to catch it, but in steady numbers. The point of lockdown was to stop the NHS being overwhelmed. Not to completely stop the spread.

Look at new Zealand. That have eradicated it. Except they haven't unless they is close to anyone coming.. Citizens will need to go into mandatory quarantine and tourists can't be allowed.

Or someone will being it in and it will being to spread again. And again, spreading before people knows its occurred again. Given lots of citizens need tourisim, I am not sure if that's viable.

Nitbsure asking the police to back off is evidence, they don't have other intentions.

Yes. Not a conspiracy theorist

No

No, and if it is made compulsory I will walk out of my house and down the local high street stark naked as a protest.

I do get the point about allowing scientists the data but surely then you would need some identifying details from the people who download the app? Even just to allow models to account for bias in the sample (eg how many old people are you likely missing because they don't have mobiles, are there any relevant characteristics that make people less likely to choose to download the app)?

It's a trade-off, the privacy of a decentralised model vs the additional research capacity of the centralised model, and I'd like to see a proper risk benefit appraisal of both options that explains why the centralised model was chosen. But I don't think that exists because I don't think they care about the science. I think it's about the money.

Marginalgain all food for thought.

I didn't vote for this government. But enough people did, and they have an enormous majority. There's nothing I can do about that. Boris is hero worshipped. Do I trust the government? No not entirely, but I don't trust any government entirely.

Will the app make any difference to the power the government already have? I don't know, this is why it's important to make informed choices, but as we've seen with this lockdown, how much choice do we really have.

There were people who were and are screaming out for martial law, screaming out for jogging to be banned, calling people murderers for buying a loaf of bread. It's quite terrifying really.

Nitbsure asking the police to back off is evidence, they don't have other intentions.

This is also true. I suppose I have felt a bit reassured that they haven't gone for such a strict lockdown. But you could just as easily look at all that another way.

To be clear I am not against the app or for it.

Not saying tea government have nefarious reasons for the app.

I just dont think the police being asked to back off, is proof they arent nefarious reasin for it.

Like you, I will wait until I know more.

Definitely not, for privacy reasons. It's not about having 'something to hide', it's about what the government should and shouldn't have access to. I'd have been slightly tempted by the Apple/Google decentralised app, but the government rejecting that and wanting to centralise the data doesn't sit right with me at all. I'm privacy-conscious anyway - don't have Facebook etc, all the location services are turned off on my phone.

I'm the type to say "Great!" about more cctv and storing of fingerprints and dna etc as it's a more efficient way to capture criminals but monitoring where I go? No. It's a good idea for a crisis like this but we have no idea that those monitoring us will turn the system off after it's over. Emergency government powers have never been withdrawn after use.
During 9/11 the US government got emergency powers to monitor communications of whoever they wanted. Certain words in internet searches flagged people up for monitoring. It was intended to be a temporary emergency measure. Now it's just standard. Even with an app you can remove, my tin foil wearing conspiracy nutter inner voice has reared it's head to tell me hell no. Don't do it.

I can see why people are concerned are about state overreach.

But honestly this seems like nothing compared to the power to keep us confined to our homes.

These are exceptional times. If technology-led contact tracing is our best route out of lockdown I’m all for it.

During 9/11 the US government got emergency powers to monitor communications of whoever they wanted. Certain words in internet searches flagged people up for monitoring. It was intended to be a temporary emergency measure. Now it's just standard. Even with an app you can remove, my tin foil wearing conspiracy nutter inner voice has reared it's head to tell me hell no. Don't do it.

Phew. Glad to see this. I've been banging on about 9/11 since this happened. The emergency powers stayed.

Soon it’ll be like China -
www.wired.co.uk/article/china-social-credit-system-explained

Don’t download the app? Well you can’t leave your house/get a job/go abroad!

Since the system relies on an app on your phone, you can turn it off yourself at any time

If the code is open source, as has been stated, it is impossible for any code to be left on your phone if you take it off

The is no way that it could stay tracing you for ever ...it's under your control

No I won't

I’ve only had Facebook for about 8months, I refused and refused I felt so pushed into it I backed further away. It’s so deeply entrenched in our society that for a personal reason I had to join.

I can totally see how this will be that way. If the majority do have the app. And it’s advertised like ur crazy not to have it. Well... they won’t need scary laws like China people will just be socially forced into it

The is no way that it could stay tracing you for ever ...it's under your control

No, but there's no reason that the government wouldn't continue to require this as a prerequisite for certain 'privileges' e.g. to ride the tube, or go to large gatherings, whatever. To fly a plane, to enter the country.

There is no intention to make it compulsory even now!

Incredibly “ Then again I downloaded the c-19 App that you report to everyday and tbh I know Jack shit about what thst can trace“

Why did you do it then?

The is no way that it could stay tracing you for ever ...it's under your control

In that case the argument could be made, that its pointless.

If you delete and reinstall at will, you cojld take it off if you know you are going somewhere busy. Or going somewhere not in, the guidlines. What ever they may be when it comes out.

“ But do our government have sinister intentions? They told the police to lay off and haven't gone for a strict lockdown like other countries.”

Taping off park benches so an elderly person going for a walk can’t even sit down? I don’t think the government have been kind or understanding in their approach.

Telling me other governments are worse makes me more inclined not to go down the slippery slope.

Lol at Schroedinger’s mobile phone.

So it's pointless if it's not compulsory and depriving us of freedom if it is compulsory?

Both extremes I think are wrong.

If it gives us the freedoms to live and work and play during the pandemic , it's giving freedoms and those that we give up in return are temporary, and it doesn't need everyone to do it to make a real impact, so no need to force anyone

I guess trying to save lives and the econ9my is terrible suspicious