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Original poster

Police told not to download NHS app

28 replies

Alex50 · 28/09/2020 19:04

Well if the police are told not to download it, I won’t be using it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54328644

OP posts:

chipsandpeas · 28/09/2020 19:06

did you read why they are being told not to download it

10storeylovesong · 28/09/2020 19:53

The police are told not to download it on their work devices because it could compromise delicate confidential operations. Is that the same reason you won't be downloading it?!

notevenat20 · 28/09/2020 19:56

There is also an issue with hospitals. They have QR codes for checking in on the app but...hospitals treat covid patients so everyone who checks in then has to self isolate.

SundayAgain · 28/09/2020 19:56

@10storeylovesong

The police are told not to download it on their work devices because it could compromise delicate confidential operations. Is that the same reason you won't be downloading it?!

Absolutely this.

SueEllenMishke · 28/09/2020 20:02

The police are told not to download it on their work devices because it could compromise delicate confidential operations. Is that the same reason you won't be downloading it?!

Haha this.....

MrMeSeeks · 28/09/2020 20:04

Well if the police are told not to download it, I won’t be using it

Oy well of-course not, or you could you know, look more in depths to the reasons...

StephenBelafonte · 28/09/2020 20:06

That article also says the police were also told not to have the app downloaded on their personal phones if they have them with them on duty.

I'm with you OP, I won't be using it either.

LadyLoungeALot · 28/09/2020 20:07

They are told not to download it on their work phones.
Most work-issued phones come with conditions about what you can and can not download. We have been told not to download on our work issued phones (those who have them). We are, of course, as are the police officers, perfectly at liberty to download what we want to on our personal mobile phones.

Lockdownfatigue · 28/09/2020 20:07

A friend who works in a school says he has been told not to download it as it’s a safeguarding issue? I have no idea why

Nicknacky · 28/09/2020 20:08

What a stupid miss reading of an article....

thecatsatonthewall · 28/09/2020 20:08

@10storeylovesong

The police are told not to download it on their work devices because it could compromise delicate confidential operations. Is that the same reason you won't be downloading it?!

Obviously not the case.

from the article.... Some officers have also been told they may not need to obey self-isolate alerts generated by the app when downloaded to their personal phones

The real reason the Police are so short staffed, they cannot be isolating unless they have CV proved via a test.

Foreverlexicon · 28/09/2020 20:14

My force currently has an entire team self isolating in one of our areas. The other teams in that area are working 12 hour shifts to cover. Utter nightmare.

My sergeant encouraged us today to download it.

LimaFoxtrotCharlie · 28/09/2020 20:21

@notevenat20

There is also an issue with hospitals. They have QR codes for checking in on the app but...hospitals treat covid patients so everyone who checks in then has to self isolate.

I don’t think it works like that - checking in with the QR code doesn’t mean you self isolate. The app calculates your contact with other phones using the app, so you only get notified to isolate if you were a close contact with a positive case

OverTheRubicon · 28/09/2020 20:22

@10storeylovesong

The police are told not to download it on their work devices because it could compromise delicate confidential operations. Is that the same reason you won't be downloading it?!

Haha this.

LadyLoungeALot · 28/09/2020 20:44

@notevenat20

There is also an issue with hospitals. They have QR codes for checking in on the app but...hospitals treat covid patients so everyone who checks in then has to self isolate.

That is not true. The hospital positive tests are not imputed onto the app at this time. It only records the community test results, if the person who tests enters it.

CatBatCat · 28/09/2020 21:38

Unless the Police have reason to believe that Apple, Google and the government are lying to us, there shouldn't be a privacy issue. But if they do in fact think that Apple, Google and the government are in fact lying, then maybe they should investigate that as it would involve a few crimes.

AlecTrevelyan006 · 28/09/2020 21:53

@10storeylovesong

The police are told not to download it on their work devices because it could compromise delicate confidential operations. Is that the same reason you won't be downloading it?!

i don't believe that excuse for one second

the real (and totally justified) reason is that they (and we) simply cannot afford to have loads of police officers off work at the same time

Sunbird24 · 28/09/2020 21:56

I work in cyber security and have downloaded it to my phone. It’s way more secure than TikTok...

BrimFullOfAsher · 28/09/2020 22:00

It's also not an NHS App

notevenat20 · 28/09/2020 22:01

The hospital positive tests are not imputed onto the app at this time. It only records the community test results, if the person who tests enters it.

That’s incorrect. If a patient has had a positive test outside a hospital and then goes to the hospital ill, it mucks the whole system up.

Gladysthesphinx · 28/09/2020 22:05

Well, if (as PPs suggest) the risk for police is that it may compromise confidential investigations, that must be because there is a security issue of some type about how the app interacts with other information on the phone. Otherwise this wouldn’t be an issue.

Not being a police officer, I do not have information about investigations in my phone, but I do have personal & private information which matters to me. If this app isn’t ready for the police, or the necessary checks haven’t been done, it should not have been rolled out yet.

jdoejnr1 · 28/09/2020 22:14

Ok, so your a victim of domestic violence and pluck up the currage to contact the police. Your partner does know yet and then you get a call from the NHS saying you've been near someone who has tested positive (the cop who waited outside while you spoke to another). Your violent partner is there for the call and wants to know who you've been near to result the call? Now what?

There are loads of other possabilities I'm not going to go into but you get the gist. There are some valid reasons not to download the app, this isn't one of them.

Crunchymum · 28/09/2020 22:30

@10storeylovesong

The police are told not to download it on their work devices because it could compromise delicate confidential operations. Is that the same reason you won't be downloading it?!

Actually this is incorrect.

This is from the BBC article and it seems the issue is the NPCC think the app isn't fit for purpose, nothing to do with security.

WinifredSanderson · 28/09/2020 22:42

It's not an NHS app and I won't be downloading it.

Dannn · 29/09/2020 15:45

NHS worker here, we were initially told not to download it. Now have been told we can download it but should turn off the contact tracing option whilst at / near work. I don’t have the app so not sure how this works.

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