just because I'm Paranoid ...

[guest311]

it may just be because I'm paranoid ....

but

the "NHS" want's me to download an'app' onto my smart-phone so they can track my contacts ....

a. I don't have a smart-phone so that's one problem ...

but for those that do have ...

you log in and say 'I have symptoms'

and they start phoning anyone you have been in contact with ?

so the "NHS" has monitored you're location, and everyone else who has joined up, so they can see where you have been, who you have met etc....

1984 or what ?

and who is to say that once Covid -19 has gone, they will delete your info ?

they are out to get me, and you, and you  :'(

[Bealman]

This was introduced in Australia a week or so ago. So far there are well over 2.5 million downloads.

I can see benefits and possible downsides. I have not downloaded it myself as of yet.

[ntpntpntp]

Well I guess they need to try something to support some sort of trace and trace (sounds like a parcel courier  )

I don't have a smart phone either, I've no interest in having one despite being a software developer and therefore supposedly "into IT and tech" .  Work actually made some security changes not so long ago and assumed everyone had a smartphone for authentication.... er nope     

[honestjudge]

And who is to say that some shady lot are not already tracking you now?

[guest311]

well, there's been this van parked across the road the last few days 

[emjaybee]

well, there's been this van parked across the road the last few days 

Yeah, sorry about that. I'll get it shifted soon.

[Bealman]

The cat detector van! Hope you don't end up with Eric the half a bee in your garden!

[themadhippy]

well, there's been this van parked across the road the last few days

Not Flowers By Irene by any chance?
As for the app it locates you by gps.so  what happens in gps blackspots,ive used gps on mobiles all over the uk and theres many places ,especially built up areas were it dont work,or its out by a good few feet,and how does it know there wasnt a bus or wall  between you and the possible case you just walked passed?

[Graham]

This was introduced in Australia a week or so ago. So far there are well over 2.5 million downloads.

I can see benefits and possible downsides. I have not downloaded it myself as of yet.

George, just to put your mind at rest,
With the Aussie one they can only take the data from your phone if you answer yes to the question once asked to by a health worker (your doctor or a nurse in hospital), if you answer no it stays on your phone. As an aside I used to work with some of the people who tested this and if they are happy with it I am.

Google knows more about you and your movements by default than this app will ever try and ascertain.

Ironically when I tried to put it on my phone I was rejected as the phone was too old. So guess what I am about to get a new phone. I think this is an invaluable tool for all of us to get out of this lockdown.

cheers
Graham

[Graham]

should also add Apple to the Google remark, they both monitor everything with the reasoning being to make your experience with them better, hmmm!

[chrism]

a. I don't have a smart-phone so that's one problem ...
but for those that do have ...
you log in and say 'I have symptoms'
and they start phoning anyone you have been in contact with ?

I think the idea is that the system sends messages out automagically to any others app users who got close enough, whilst the phoning is a manual method for those without either a mobile phone or the app.

As for the app it locates you by gps.so  what happens in gps blackspots,ive used gps on mobiles all over the uk and theres many places ,especially built up areas were it dont work,or its out by a good few feet,and how does it know there wasnt a bus or wall  between you and the possible case you just walked passed?

If there was an obstruction a) you couldn't catch the virus through an obstruction, b) you'd have been unlikely to be within 2 metres anyway and c) the bluetooth would be unlikely to pick up the other mobile anyway.
I don't think that it uses the GPS for contact tracing and alerts anyway - just if it can make bluetooth contact with another mobile running the app.

[Mr Sprue]

I guess it must work on a similar basis to google maps where it knows the road congestion hot spots via peoples phone signals at a given time.

[PLD]

Paranoia Rules!

In short:
When it detects another phone with the app in range, The App on your phone logs (on your phone) the user ID from the app on the other phone and a timestamp.
No 'Location' data is stored.
This is automatically deleted from you phone after a period (not certain - seen 42 days and 56 days specified)
IF you report having symptoms, AND flag that in the app, a message is pushed to the app on other users phones advising them to isolate / seek testing.

No Information Governance issues - you have the choice to download the app or not, and your personal information isn't stored anywhere, only a user ID unique to the App.

[Bealman]

Deleted every 21 days here on a rolling roster.

[zwilnik]

should also add Apple to the Google remark, they both monitor everything with the reasoning being to make your experience with them better, hmmm!

However with Apple, you have to explicitly opt-in and the data sent is stripped of any sort of information that you personally identify you. It's not in their interest to abuse your personal info (quite the opposite).

Likewise, with the Apple-Google contact tracing API, it doesn't send any data that can be used to identify you and nothing is stored on any servers, government or otherwise.

The NHS and UK Government both have very poor histories in terms of looking after patient data (whole DVD sets of them going walkabout, chunks of patient info being sold to Amazon) and the brother of the chap being paid to write the NHS contact tracing app was involved in all the Facebook shenanigans over Brexit. So I wouldn't trust it at all.