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Being denied entry because you dont have the track and trace app?

468 replies

Rudolphian · 27/09/2020 18:54

I haven't downloaded the app due to personal reasons.
I have started hearing stories about people being denied entry to pubs/ restaurants and cafes because they havent got the app.
Is this true?
Now I'm wondering what I'd do if it came into work, or if I'm told its compulsory to have to go to the supermarket?
Pretty sure its not a legal requirement yet.

OP posts:
Inkpaperstars · 27/09/2020 19:56

I can't use the app on my phone. I have no problem with individual businesses deciding to turn away those without the app, although if that excludes certain people it could be regarded as discrimation. Eg it will likely include huge numbers of older people.

Key services will have to allow people in unless we are all given a device for the app.

Have they got it working then?

goldenwarbler · 27/09/2020 19:59

@Rudolphian I was totally sceptical reports of people turned away so quickly after roll out bjt then it happened to me three times yesterday!!!

Enoughnowstop · 27/09/2020 19:59

Don't understand why people are bolshy about using the app

Not being bolshy. It won’t download on my phone. My phone works perfectly well and costs me £8 a month. It is hardly environmentally friendly to upgrade just because....we’re talking iPhone 6, not Nokia brick!

Is my money not good enough? I thought businesses were desperate? Happy to hand over my details but am not upgrading my phone.

jasjas1973 · 27/09/2020 20:00

@nancy75

Husband runs a pub, they require you to be booked online & show your booking email or use the app. They do this because previously some ‘clever’ people were giving fake names & phone numbers.
If people will be stupid enough to give false info, they'll use an untraceable temp email to book online too.

Wont be long before a spoof NHS app will be downloadable to get round this too.

bettsbattenburg · 27/09/2020 20:01

@twoglassesofprosecco

Since it doesn't work on many many phones, places will have to provide an alternative method of checking in.
They can insist on the app, it's their business and they aren't being discriminatory against a protected characteristic
jasjas1973 · 27/09/2020 20:02

.... this Govt needs to realise that our consent is needed to beat CV, no draconian measures, which is exactly what the WHO say in their 4 point plan on CV.

Meuniere · 27/09/2020 20:02

@Rudolphian

Inhinknthe government needs to make a statement clarifying this. They needs to make it clear to businesses the track and trace app is not a legal requirement and they are should not refuse entry to people who do not/ or for whatever reason are not able to use the app.
Tbh the guidance is very clear. But. I’m sure. Some pubs will use that as a way to do the paper tracing instead as it’s much easier if people. Scan instead
Ilovemypantry · 27/09/2020 20:02

What are your personal reasons for not wanting to help stop the spread of the virus?

Meuniere · 27/09/2020 20:04

@nancy75 the thing is, it’s not up to your DH to police what people are doing re ‘false details’.

It’s very easy to give false details when booking too.

Plus he is going against the guidance anyway.

SoUtterlyGroundDown · 27/09/2020 20:05

@Ilovemypantry

What are your personal reasons for not wanting to help stop the spread of the virus?
The OP hasn’t said she won’t leave her details (which is what helps stop the spread of the virus), just that she doesn’t want to download the app.
cologne4711 · 27/09/2020 20:05

They can insist on the app, it's their business and they aren't being discriminatory against a protected characteristic

You clearly haven't read the thread and my comment about the ICO guidance which really couldn't be any clearer.

ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2020/09/data-protection-guidance-for-collecting-customer-information/

And in particular: Organisations should not make the use of contact tracing apps mandatory, and should give people options to give their details for contact tracing purposes

What part of that guidance do traders and other operators of gyms etc not understand?

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 27/09/2020 20:06

Businesses have the right to allow or refuse people at their own discretion. So they can and I wouldn't be surprised if some do.

nancy75 · 27/09/2020 20:06

[quote Meuniere]@nancy75 the thing is, it’s not up to your DH to police what people are doing re ‘false details’.

It’s very easy to give false details when booking too.

Plus he is going against the guidance anyway.[/quote]
He’s doing as he’s told by the company he works for.

SoUtterlyGroundDown · 27/09/2020 20:07

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

Businesses have the right to allow or refuse people at their own discretion. So they can and I wouldn't be surprised if some do.
That’s fine, I’m happy not to go anywhere where use of the app is required.
MushMonster · 27/09/2020 20:07

We have not been out to pubs sinve the app was launched, but gym here so far is ok (we have to book online before going, and they do have all our contact details in their system), shops do not even have anything up for the app that I have seen. We did leave our phone and name in the pub we visited last with no issues. We will see if they start requesting the app from this week...
Not sure why people lie on the details they leave, just why? But the app will not sort it, they would just fake that they have it!

WhentheDealGoesDown1 · 27/09/2020 20:07

Obviously these places that bleat on about losing business are not that bothered if they can turn away customers that haven’t got the right phone, hopefully they will go bust

cologne4711 · 27/09/2020 20:07

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

Businesses have the right to allow or refuse people at their own discretion. So they can and I wouldn't be surprised if some do.
I repeat again:

ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2020/09/data-protection-guidance-for-collecting-customer-information/

And in particular: Organisations should not make the use of contact tracing apps mandatory, and should give people options to give their details for contact tracing purposes

ivfbeenbusy · 27/09/2020 20:09

For what "personal" reasons wouldn't you download it??? You just sound petty and silly. Just download the ruddy thing

nancy75 · 27/09/2020 20:10

@WhentheDealGoesDown1

Obviously these places that bleat on about losing business are not that bothered if they can turn away customers that haven’t got the right phone, hopefully they will go bust
Nice attitude, hopefully people lose their jobs because their employers are trying to do their best to keep people safe. Maybe if people hadn’t been such idiots about giving their details it wouldn’t have got to this point
AlecTrevelyan006 · 27/09/2020 20:10

@WhentheDealGoesDown1

Obviously these places that bleat on about losing business are not that bothered if they can turn away customers that haven’t got the right phone, hopefully they will go bust
problem is if they don't ask for people's details they will get closed down - and thus go bust

so they're just trying to make it easier by 'encouraging' everyone to use the standard app

keeprocking · 27/09/2020 20:11

I'm 72, what's an app? That would be my reply!

Thimbleberries · 27/09/2020 20:12

I've downloaded it

I think the code is open, isn't it, so that people can look at it and find out that it's not doing anything dodgy

It doesn't take your data. It can't track you. It only knows if you've been in contact with another phone long enough, so that if the other phone enters a positive code, you get notified. There's a points system regarding how close you've been and for how long, and only if it gets above a certain level, does it notify you. That's better than the manual tracking of names that some restaurants do that only takes entry times and not exit times, so they have no idea whether you've overlapped at all.

It's a decentralised system. And enough people seem to have seen the code to know that it's not storing anything or doing anything other than what it says.

It's a shame it doesn't work with older phones. I thought that was a physical hardware problem, though, to do with the bluetooth on those phones - possibly not something they govt can do anything about. If that's what the apple/google api uses, then they've got to work with that.

It hasn't so far drained my battery at all. I haven't even noticed the slightest difference, though my phone is fairly new. Older phones might notice more.

keeprocking · 27/09/2020 20:15

their employers are trying to do their best to keep people safe

No they're not, they are demanding that everyone carries a piece of technology they may not own, it is legal not to have a phone or not to be surgically attached to one. I often go out without my phone and/or forget to charge it.

ImSleepingBeauty · 27/09/2020 20:16

@TruffleShuffles

People are confusing two different things here, the tracking app and the QR codes that businesses provide to simply check in. I haven’t downloaded the app but I still use the QR code provided to show that I have been to a pub/restaurant.
Same. I don’t have the app but I do ‘check in’ using the QR codes when I go out for a coffee etc.
keeprocking · 27/09/2020 20:16

What are your personal reasons for not wanting to help stop the spread of the virus?

Are you still abuising your children?