Will you download the Covid19 app?

[BFew]

Half-baked: The COVIDSafe app is not fit for purpose on iPhones

The COVIDSafe app doesn't work on iPhones in the way it was sold to Australians - at least not yet. The question is why politicians chose to not communicate these issues clearly.

www.smh.com.au

Half-baked: The COVIDSafe app is not fit for purpose on iPhones

The COVIDSafe app doesn't work on iPhones in the way it was sold to Australians - at least not yet.
Are tech experts surprised? Not in the slightest. After all, there were always going to be issues in overcoming restrictions with Apple's privacy-first operating system for smartphones. What remains questionable, however, is why politicians chose to not communicate these issues clearly with Australians, leaving it to those who know better to point out flaws in the app's design.

Since its launch on April 26, it's been revealed the almost $2 million COVIDSafe app faces almost identical problems to its Singapore equivalent. Politicians such as Health Minister Greg Hunt and Government Services Minister Stuart Robert claimed it had overcome them, but following a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, it's apparent this is not the case.

Either Roberts and Hunt lied, or their advisers lied to them.

Health Minister Hunt refused on Wednesday to concede the app didn't work as intended on iPhones. "It is working and it's working well. We had the fortune of seeing what Singapore went through."

if this sort of misleading or ill-informed messaging continues then it will only further increase the trust deficit Australians have with governments when it comes to anything to do with technology.

back to BAU unfortunately.

 

[BFew]

Hey Billy ray ... you gonna delete the app now?

 

[Billy ray]

Hey Billy ray ... you gonna delete the app now?

nah, i have used it like 4-5 times in last week (the 4-5 times i have gone from my car at shopping centre carpark into shops and back to my car)
couldnt care less if someone is tracking me. im not cheating on a partner, visiting a drug dealer or am a drug dealer, and live a mundane life that no one in the public service r military would give two shits about

 

[BFew]

Another rogue Council (Bass Coast Council in Victoria) is now reported to be wasting ratepayers $/resources (like NSW's Strathfield Council).

No Cookies | Daily Telegraph

No Cookies

www.dailytelegraph.com.au

Second council unlawfully forces employees to download app

Staff at two councils told the federal government’s coronavirus tracing app was required on all work phones, in contradiction of Biosecurity Act.

employees at the Bass Coast Council in Victoria received an email telling them downloading the app was "expected" for those with a smartphone supplied by work. The email, seen by The Daily Telegraph, instructed all staff with a mobile provided by the council to install the app, and encouraged staff to raise "questions or concerns" with their manager. "To support the health and safety of our staff, it is expected that all Council issued mobile phones have the COVIDSafe App downloaded and operational and thank you to those who are already doing this," the email said.

A source close to the council told The Daily Telegraph there had been no further instructions about the app, and its download was "purely expected" rather than being enforced at this time.

As the article goes on to say, this is still a clear breach of the currently in force Apr 25, 2020 determination by Minister Hunt.

The latest on Strathfield Council below.

Strathfield council officials will be referred to police if they do not stop requiring all staff with a work smartphone to download the federal government’s coronavirus tracing app. Department of Health acting secretary Caroline Edwards told a senate inquiry into the COVID-19 response on Wednesday a legal team had “attempted to make contact” with Strathfield Mayor Antoine Doueihi about the matter that morning. “(They) attempted to make contact with the Mayor of the Shire in order to indicate that on the face of the report if true it would appear to be in contravention and to seek assurances,” she said.
Ms Edwards said the department’s legal team was also drafting correspondence should they fail to get a “satisfactory resolution”. “If true and if we don’t get an assurance quickly that they cease and desist from that behaviour … in the event we had any lingering concerns beyond today we would refer the matter to police,” she said. Ms Edwards also confirmed it was a “breach” of the Biosecurity Act for any employer to require their workers to install the COVIDSafe app.

Mr Hunt said the department moved to investigate the council "immediately" after becoming aware of reports by The Daily Telegraph about the emails to staff requiring they download the COVIDSafe app. "We saw those reports, we weren't aware of them previously, we've acted immediately, and they will be expected to respond immediately," he said.

 

[Gigantic]

So the UK have released source code for the beta version of their app



I have not come across any evidence to suggest releasing source code will expose you to greater risk - so not sure what Australia's reasoning is, maybe similar to the evidence they relied on to come up with the 40% of population download requirement

 

[Caesar]

I have not come across any evidence to suggest releasing source code will expose you to greater risk - so not sure what Australia's reasoning is

Engineers ashamed of their kludgy scripts and poor documentation

 

[Gralin]

So the UK have released source code for the beta version of their app



I have not come across any evidence to suggest releasing source code will expose you to greater risk - so not sure what Australia's reasoning is, maybe similar to the evidence they relied on to come up with the 40% of population download requirement

they've said they will release the code today so we just get to wait and seee

 

[BFew]

Council forced into COVID app backdown - Government News

A Sydney council has landed in hot water for illegally ordering staff to download the COVID app.

www.governmentnews.com.au

A Sydney council that faced a health department investigation for illegally ordering workers to download the CovidSafe app has rescinded the direction and apologised to staff. ... Strathfield Municipal Council

Entirely predictable.

 

[Evolved1]

Come to the light brother, having a dump in an empty house with the door open is one of the joys of the living.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, taking a dump with a 2yr old crying and banging on the door to get in is one of the most painful aspects of living.

I view ScoMo as the 2yr old and his app as a soiled nappy.

 

[footyfan1978]

For those of you that downloaded this for whatever reason, is this turning out as bad as governments attempts at online census?

 

[Minidisc MD]

imagine thinking that the government is only watching you if you download an app.

hah!

click that dodgy link or joke about making that device and you'll trigger something in Canberra.

the amount of stay-at-home mums who protest this app but then spend their whole life on facebook is a gag. you do know facebook sells your private conversations to advertisers and governments? like, it's a fact, like in court fact, like admitted by the owners fact.

****heads.

 

[raskolnikov]

I haven't downloaded it as there are no cases in CQ.

 

[William Wonka]

Burner is still insuffiecient because the app, you have to completely fill out your personal details, name, address, dob, phone number, comply to have all your medical records stored, etc. They say the info wont be shared with govt agencies etc, but you know it will. Anyway, seemingly you wont be able to put in some fake name and address because downloading it to your phone, even a burner, means theyll have your phone number and thus your real name, address, etc. Would be a verification code sent to your phone upon registration. So you cant bs the app with false info. Its not merely the tracking thats bad here, but that youre giving up all your info that isnt really secure and private.

I put my name down as Willy Wonka

 

[raskolnikov]

I haven't downloaded it as there are no cases in CQ.

There is now.

 

[Gough]

There is now.

Inshallah it's Pauline Hanson.

 

[raskolnikov]

Inshallah it's Pauline Hanson.

Pauline's not from CQ fortunately.

 

[Gough]

Pauline's not from CQ fortunately.

A boy can dream.

 

[Hawk Dork]

Australia’s most populous state, and the state with the most coronavirus cases, has not yet been able to use the Covidsafe app for contact tracing.


In nearly a month since it launched, more than 5.87 million Australians have downloaded and registered to use the Covidsafe contact-tracing app, which is designed to make it easier for state health officials to find close contacts in the event a user tests positive for coronavirus.


Last week, state health department contact tracers received training in how to access the data, but no states have yet reported using the data for contact tracing.

NSW is unable to use Covidsafe app’s data for contact tracing

Exclusive: No Australian state has reported using data for contact tracing coronavirus cases since it was released a month ago

www.theguardian.com

 

[BFew]

Australia’s most populous state, and the state with the most coronavirus cases, has not yet been able to use the Covidsafe app for contact tracing.

Thanks for the reminder to actually ever turn the App on.
I ended up downloading and registering it again recently.
But have hardly had it open, let alone in the foreground since I did.

 

[avac1991]

No. Privacy first!

 

[Billy ray]

No. Privacy first!

drug dealer

 

[Espe]

No. Privacy first!

I’ll never understand this position. Most people i know who who say they wont download still use apps like facebook or google, or even a simple tax return.

Just don’t get it.

 

[Kurve]

It's a fizza.


39mminutes ago
By Yasmin Jeffery

How many COVID-19 cases have been identified through COVIDSafe?
The Deputy Chief Medical officer says COVIDSafe doesn't identify cases.

"I think what you're saying is how many contacts have been identified by the app?" he responds to the journalist who asked the question.

"One case in Victoria was identified during contact tracing that then on further inquiry by that disease detectives was proved not to be a significant contact.

"So that is the one case that has been identified by the app."

NSW Crossroads Hotel patrons 'required' to self-isolate 'regardless of symptoms'

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth says anyone who was at a pub at the centre of an outbreak in NSW between July 3-10 will need to isolate for 14 days from the date of their visit. Look back at how the day unfolded in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Hank Scorpion]

It's a fizza.


39mminutes ago
By Yasmin Jeffery

How many COVID-19 cases have been identified through COVIDSafe?
The Deputy Chief Medical officer says COVIDSafe doesn't identify cases.

"I think what you're saying is how many contacts have been identified by the app?" he responds to the journalist who asked the question.

"One case in Victoria was identified during contact tracing that then on further inquiry by that disease detectives was proved not to be a significant contact.

"So that is the one case that has been identified by the app."

NSW Crossroads Hotel patrons 'required' to self-isolate 'regardless of symptoms'

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth says anyone who was at a pub at the centre of an outbreak in NSW between July 3-10 will need to isolate for 14 days from the date of their visit. Look back at how the day unfolded in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

If anything, it's probably been counter-productive if it's given people any false sense of security

 

[Hawk Dork]

If anything, it's probably been counter-productive if it's given people any false sense of security

Put the sunscreen on and then stand in the blazing sun and you will be right