Are you Going to use the COVIDsafe App?

[serfty]

I did research this a fair bit and I decided I was happy to:

Privacy Policy

The COVIDSafe app speeds up contacting people exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19). This helps us support and protect you, your friends and family. Please read the content on this page before downloading.

www.health.gov.au

 

[DC3]

Wow, so you trust Google and Facebook .... copious amount of data they have from you and that they don't use it/sell it/abuse it all for their own benefit.

So, the Government could have gone to Google, etc, to get the data they need, instead of funding the new app?

 

[serfty]

I may have missed this, but with 40% take-up being sought, how many does this equate to? 10 million, based on 25 million population, less babies/infants/various others who do not use a mobile phone. Have the experts provided a number?

I saw somting quoted but can't remember the exact figure.

~30% of the population is under 25.

If the adult (18+) population is 19M and the 40% is based on that then around 8M ...

 

[jakeseven7]

I am not surprised... they want the lock down lifted sooner rather than later

They want their jobs back.

I hope not too many people are ill informed or selfish and just download it so we can get on with some kind of return to normal

 

[harvyk]

So, the Government could have gone to Google, etc, to get the data they need, instead of funding the new app?

In a word no, I can go into the technical explanation if you like, or you can trust me that whilst google might be collecting a whole lot of data on us it can't really be used for contact tracing.

 

[drron]

I've downloaded it. However before I did I read over the whitepaper about BlueTrace, aka the protocol which COVIDSafe is branched from.

Long story short, I am rather impressed at the solution which has been developed. It is very close to the sort of solution I or my team might have come up with had we been tasked with developing it, in-fact one of the idea's goes further than I would have done, so kudo's to the development team. This is a very well done job.

It balances the privacy of the individual, with the requirement to advice if close contact with a positive case is found. The data collected by the app and sent to the central server is highly limited in purpose, so should an agency such as the AFP attempt to gain access to the data under the guise of say an anti-terrorism law, they will be very disappointed. Furthermore, unlike some of the governments other half coughd approaches to data and data safety, IMHO this application is secure by design.


For the technically minded, the internal design of BlueTrace is available from here -> https://bluetrace.io/static/bluetrace_whitepaper-938063656596c104632def383eb33b3c.pdf (Assuming that you haven't found it already). If people have questions and want me to translate from technospeak to plain English, you only need to ask. (I see the advantage of the entire population getting this app, so I'll do my bit).

(Getting data and metrics from point A to point B without person C seeing it at scale is kinda my day job, so I feel I am qualified to talk about this subject on a technical level)

Great post.I am not technically minded but your explanation pushed me over the line and now have it downloaded.Though it really was a bit of an effort with the input of info would slow right down and pushing next was as slow as a wet week.Presumably i picked a time when there were a lot doing the same.
though it could be my coughpy old hand me down phone.

 

[theblank]

So, the Government could have gone to Google, etc, to get the data they need, instead of funding the new app?

the implication of the Google/Facebook point is that many people willingly disclose huge amounts of personal info to these two companies, yet complain or scaremonger about the Aus Govt tracking them (which wont happen).

 

[Cappuccino99]

I can't download it because the app is geo locked. My playstore acct is set to UK. You can only change your country once a year and I've already used that life!
I've emailed the app support because I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation.

 

[p--and--t]

I've downloaded it. However before I did I read over the whitepaper about BlueTrace, aka the protocol which COVIDSafe is branched from.

Long story short, I am rather impressed at the solution which has been developed. It is very close to the sort of solution I or my team might have come up with had we been tasked with developing it, in-fact one of the idea's goes further than I would have done, so kudo's to the development team. This is a very well done job.

It balances the privacy of the individual, with the requirement to advice if close contact with a positive case is found. The data collected by the app and sent to the central server is highly limited in purpose, so should an agency such as the AFP attempt to gain access to the data under the guise of say an anti-terrorism law, they will be very disappointed. Furthermore, unlike some of the governments other half coughd approaches to data and data safety, IMHO this application is secure by design.


For the technically minded, the internal design of BlueTrace is available from here -> https://bluetrace.io/static/bluetrace_whitepaper-938063656596c104632def383eb33b3c.pdf (Assuming that you haven't found it already). If people have questions and want me to translate from technospeak to plain English, you only need to ask. (I see the advantage of the entire population getting this app, so I'll do my bit).

(Getting data and metrics from point A to point B without person C seeing it at scale is kinda my day job, so I feel I am qualified to talk about this subject on a technical level)

Great post @harvyk .

I had already downloaded and activated prior even though I am largely at home and will not contribute much in the scheme of things.

Sure are some informed and helpful folks on a wide variety of subject matter on AFF.

 

[Himeno]

the implication of the Google/Facebook point is that many people willingly disclose huge amounts of personal info to these two companies, yet complain or scaremonger about the Aus Govt tracking them (which wont happen).

That's partly because people either aren't aware of what Google/Facebook/Apple get out of people simply using their services, or if they are, aren't aware how to minimize it.

As I've mentioned before, there are places that I go to on a regular basis, that Google doesn't think I've been to in over 3 years.
There are places Google thinks I've been to, that I've only ever gone past on a bus.

I only ever have wifi, GPS or bluetooth turned on if I am actively using them (and some passive app requiring bluetooth be running in order to work doesn't count as actively using bluetooth). eg, GPS is only on when I'm booking/riding an Uber.
If it didn't defeat the point of having a phone, I'd have flight mode on all the time unless I was making a call/using SMS.

 

[p--and--t]

I saw somting quoted but can't remember the exact figure.

~30% of the population is under 25.

If the adult (18+) population is 19M and the 40% is based on that then around 8M ...

Does this help?

3101.0 - Australian Demographic Statistics, Jun 2019

www.abs.gov.au

 

[RooFlyer]

Re the 95% owning a smart phone. I wonder if they are measuring number of 04 numbers allocated? I own one smart phone but have 5 04 numbers allocated to me, including in a burglar alarm, my laptop and with my NBN service (Telstra allocates 04 numbers to my modem and my 'service')!

Smart phones sold? I have 2 smart phones beside the one I use. To own 2 active phones is not uncommon.

According to the demographic survey, 12% of the population are under 10. Do kids that young have smart phones?

Or maybe a survey? How do they survey these days? Call people's mobiles

 

[drron]

Hasn't taken long.

.

 

[Himeno]

Re the 95% owning a smart phone. I wonder if they are measuring number of 04 numbers allocated? I own one smart phone but have 5 04 numbers allocated to me, including in a burglar alarm, my laptop and with my NBN service (Telstra allocates 04 numbers to my modem and my 'service')!

Smart phones sold? I have 2 smart phones beside the one I use. To own 2 active phones is not uncommon.

According to the demographic survey, 12% of the population are under 10. Do kids that young have smart phones?

Or maybe a survey? How do they survey these days? Call people's mobiles

The only way to reasonably get accurate, usable, data on phone use and ownership would be via the census. The last census in 2016 did not ask such a question/s.
Without census data, you're only left with a guess, educated or otherwise, via some form of polling. Which would lead to bias and assumptions.

 

[VPS]

Re the 95% owning a smart phone. I wonder if they are measuring number of 04 numbers allocated? I own one smart phone but have 5 04 numbers allocated to me, including in a burglar alarm, my laptop and with my NBN service (Telstra allocates 04 numbers to my modem and my 'service')!

Smart phones sold? I have 2 smart phones beside the one I use. To own 2 active phones is not uncommon.

According to the demographic survey, 12% of the population are under 10. Do kids that young have smart phones?

Or maybe a survey? How do they survey these days? Call people's mobiles

10 is old to have a mobile phone now - the world has changed

 

[moa999]

Hasn't taken long.

View attachment 216395.

Unfortunately there are some other ones floating around the foil hat community which aren't as funny.

I've reported a few Facebook posts as Fake News today.

 

[moa999]

While the code hasn't been released,
The Android APK (install file) has been unpacked by a few people and the Twitterverse is going over it with a fine tooth comb.

@geoffreyhuntley probably the best starting point for anyone technical. Links to some lengthy shared papers and GitHub files there.

So far nothing untoward, and it is mostly based on the Singapore open source solution.

Don't press the "Upload Data" button - as bad wording will day "You have Covid-19"

Also note the Apple version does not require Location permissions.
The Android one does as Android requires that permission to grant access to Bluetooth, but the code from above shows that no Location info is accessed by the app.

 

[jb01]

Have downloaded and will use.

Any pushback makes me wonder if people realise how Google and Apple know where and when the traffic jams are.

 

[moa999]

Also for those with the phone number issue.
Suggestion is try again with WiFi off.

Looks like there is some IP filtering going on so if using VPN or an IP formerly allocated elsewhere then you might get the error.

 

[Bell21]

I've downloaded it. However before I did I read over the whitepaper about BlueTrace, aka the protocol which COVIDSafe is branched from.

Long story short, I am rather impressed at the solution which has been developed. It is very close to the sort of solution I or my team might have come up with had we been tasked with developing it, in-fact one of the idea's goes further than I would have done, so kudo's to the development team. This is a very well done job.

It balances the privacy of the individual, with the requirement to advice if close contact with a positive case is found. The data collected by the app and sent to the central server is highly limited in purpose, so should an agency such as the AFP attempt to gain access to the data under the guise of say an anti-terrorism law, they will be very disappointed. Furthermore, unlike some of the governments other half coughd approaches to data and data safety, IMHO this application is secure by design.


For the technically minded, the internal design of BlueTrace is available from here -> https://bluetrace.io/static/bluetrace_whitepaper-938063656596c104632def383eb33b3c.pdf (Assuming that you haven't found it already). If people have questions and want me to translate from technospeak to plain English, you only need to ask. (I see the advantage of the entire population getting this app, so I'll do my bit).

(Getting data and metrics from point A to point B without person C seeing it at scale is kinda my day job, so I feel I am qualified to talk about this subject on a technical level)

Yeh, kudos for the post - they had me at 'hello' on this one, but I'm really pleased to hear someone who understands this space clearly explain how well they appear to have thought it through

 

[DC3]

Yeh, kudos for the post - they had me at 'hello' on this one, but I'm really pleased to hear someone who understands this space clearly explain how well they appear to have thought it through

Well maybe our Government could learn a thing or two from AFF.