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Coronavirus

And the data stays on the device it seems. Don't get me wrong though, i distrust this government with data but do they even have access to this, and what is the this that concerns you?
 
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For those who are worried about the app and the data being abused, knowing they are run by apple and android, what do you think you will be sharing that apple and android don't already have access to?

I dont get this distrust in terms of data. Your phone company would have it, Itunes would have it and you are registered with the government via things such as council tax etc.

The government would not have to work that hard to get your data and your data with phone companies via their devices is already compromised

Being that protective of your data for the greater good of a pandemic seems slightly odd considering what is at stake. I dont think you can moan about the app and length of time its taken and then not use it when it is eventually here.
 
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I understand data and security well enough. But I wanted to know what specifically concerns people with this app and their data?

- Has the data collected by the app been decentralised? Or is it all still being stored in one location?
- Has the vulnerable registration process been hardened? Or can encryption keys still be obtained?
- Is all data stored on my handset encrypted (without backdoors) or not?

There were a range of other issues flagged, but if basic brick like this is missed at inception, I have little faith in the overall product.
 
Oh, oh, also, has a legal framework been defined and released for what they can do with the data they collect once the pandemic is no longer a problem?

Edit: Holy brick I didn't realise it was reliant on Bluetooth either, it's simply not going to provide accurate data if that's the case. Signal obscured by walls/obstacles. It's ridiculous.
 
- Has the data collected by the app been decentralised? Or is it all still being stored in one location?
- Has the vulnerable registration process been hardened? Or can encryption keys still be obtained?
- Is all data stored on my handset encrypted (without backdoors) or not?

There were a range of other issues flagged, but if basic brick like this is missed at inception, I have little faith in the overall product.

So we are told it is only stored on the device locally. My question is that we all know that data issues exist, but why is the data this app collects more worrying than what you already give Android/Apple? And if you have accepted you need to give data to them then this app shouldn't be an issue for anyone in my opinion.
 
Oh, oh, also, has a legal framework been defined and released for what they can do with the data they collect once the pandemic is no longer a problem?

Edit: Holy brick I didn't realise it was reliant on Bluetooth either, it's simply not going to provide accurate data if that's the case. Signal obscured by walls/obstacles. It's ridiculous.

The bluetooth point is absolutely spot on.
 
So we are told it is only stored on the device locally. My question is that we all know that data issues exist, but why is the data this app collects more worrying than what you already give Android/Apple? And if you have accepted you need to give data to them then this app shouldn't be an issue for anyone in my opinion.

I believe people are also worried about the precedent. If I allow the government to "safely" track my location now, what does that mean in the future?

What will they use this as a test for? I may sound like a paranoid, tin-foil hat wearer, but I feel like the whole thing could be a slippery slope.

Which is why I'll wait and see how it plays out first time around.
 
Oh, oh, also, has a legal framework been defined and released for what they can do with the data they collect once the pandemic is no longer a problem?

Edit: Holy brick I didn't realise it was reliant on Bluetooth either, it's simply not going to provide accurate data if that's the case. Signal obscured by walls/obstacles. It's ridiculous.

The bluetooth point is absolutely spot on.

The Bluetooth element is to pick up people you have been in close proximity with though? If the signal doesn't pick up then surely you would have been a safe distance? If a wall blacks the signal its unlikely you have even been close enough to infection.

If you are having to highlight technology problems that are way over the average man on the streets head then the greater good and the good intentions of the app by far outweighs the negative.

If pubs, restaurants and hairdressers are following the rules there will be over 15m peoples data stored in offices around the country on bits of paper or apps anyway with the blind trust that these bits of paper will be dealt with correctly. They have to be kept for a certain amount of days incase of outbreak from their establishment. If people are prepared to do that I dont see why you would not use an app which is not storing your data in a central location.

I think people have a choice TBH, be part of the solution or be part of the problem
 
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Oh, oh, also, has a legal framework been defined and released for what they can do with the data they collect once the pandemic is no longer a problem?

Edit: Holy brick I didn't realise it was reliant on Bluetooth either, it's simply not going to provide accurate data if that's the case. Signal obscured by walls/obstacles. It's ridiculous.

Err what?? It records close proximity. Not who else is in the flat next door.
 
Err what?? It records close proximity. Not who else is in the flat next door.

Errrrrrrrr, it's not just that:

Earlier this year there were concerns that Bluetooth could increase the risk of the app alerting people to false positives despite not having come into contact with other people as a result of this ranging issue.

“It’s hard to imagine Bluetooth proximity being a reliable test for closer or just over two metres,” Computer Science research fellow Stephen Farrell told i.

Moreover, the technology is greatly impacted by environmental factors which people see everyday. Doug Leith and Stephen Farrell at Trinity College Dublin tested Bluetooth in everyday scenarios such as walking around outside, on public transport and supermarkets, and found the signal strength varies a lot depending on the kinds of phones used, whether a body is between two phones and how much nearby materials in floors and walls reflect and absorb signals.

“Each of these are sources of ‘noise’ that can cause the detected proximity to vary by two metres or more and so have the potential to seriously affect the reliability of the app,” Prof Leith told i.

What’s more there is likely no easy fix for this problem, as these are the effects of radio propagation (the behaviour of radio waves as they travel), he explained. “This is why there are enduring, well-founded concerns as to whether these apps will prove effective or not,” Prof Leith added.

Their work also indicated that Bluetooth is unlikely to be effective for proximity detection in metal-rich environments such as buses, trams and trains – which are important sites for contact tracing.
 
@nayenezgani what if Bluetooth was the best solution available? I imagine other technology on your phone would equally struggle to work underground? You cant use your network for location settings underground or on certain transport, so what is plan C?

I would prefer to download the app and be part of the positive steps forward and ironing out the issues which might help the greater good and a route out of the gloom rather than sit at home bemoaning the app.
 
@nayenezgani what if Bluetooth was the best solution available? I imagine other technology on your phone would equally struggle to work underground? You cant use your network for location settings underground or on certain transport, so what is plan C?

I would prefer to download the app and be part of the positive steps forward and ironing out the issues which might help the greater good rather than sit at home bemoaning the app.

Good for you.
 
I believe people are also worried about the precedent. If I allow the government to "safely" track my location now, what does that mean in the future?

What will they use this as a test for? I may sound like a paranoid, tin-foil hat wearer, but I feel like the whole thing could be a slippery slope.

Which is why I'll wait and see how it plays out first time around.
"There's a reported terrorist threat, we require people to turn on their tracking apps for a month"
 
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