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

 

[harvyk]

Its even less than that. They really know nothing except the phone number they sent the pin to.

The app appears to do zero validity checks on the bare details added. So you can be "Donald Duck" show your "tinder" age and a suburb "postcode" you wish you could afford.

Agreed, then again that follows through with the important detail that getting it out there is more important than getting everyone name and age correct. Provided the phone number is correct the rest they can determine if needs be later. The other details simply provide them with potential alternate ways of contact.

 

[p--and--t]

For me I don’t go out often... I in fact stay at home more with no breaking of the rules... I agree some might use the non downloading of this app to break the rules... but don’t forget people will do stupid and idiot things no matter if they download the app or not

I've been in self imposed semi isolation for greater than four weeks because I don't want to unknowingly become sick with something for which there is no cure, could do permanent damage to my lungs, and I have the luxury of being able to stay home.

I still downloaded the app because when restrictions are lifted and I start to feel more comfortable to go out,

• Regardless of the daily tallies broadcast, there will still be planes/cars/trucks arriving with both locals, and interstate'rs, and overseas visitors
• I know the current tests are only 70% accurate and some people still carry the virus for a month or more after they contract the virus.
• It appears more people are walking around asymptomatic than actual symptomatic cases
• The gov's aim is for suppression and not elimination so we will be living with the virus active in the population for a long time
• If I unknowingly catch the virus and give it to someone else who also has the app or vice versa they can track back to me and get me/them into hospital before it's too late to save my/their life and maybe another 400+ people potentially infected within a short while of catching the virus.

 

[OZDUCK]

Installed the app today.

 

[p--and--t]

So here's the thing, I downloaded it, it recognised me and let me log-in, but since downloading I've been to a number of places and forgot every time to take my phone out and leave the app open onscreen. At least on my iPhone, it's completely useless. If they adopted the Apple/Google API in the future then I imagine it would track my risk better.

So I guess I'll be included in the statistics for the number using the app, but 'active use' will probably remain at 0. I wonder if they'll be reporting that metric in the future. I can imagine a number like 70% market penetration, 0.2% active users

But its already been stated the app does definitely not need to be "on screen". The requirements are

• Phone is switched on
• The app is running in background
• Bluetooth is switched on

The phone screen does not need to be active, the phone doesn't even need to be "full power", you can run it in battery save mode. Those lessons were learnt from the failures of the Singapore app.

 

[Archphoto]

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.

Are you able to sign up with another email? Admittedly, I use an iPhone, but I have a couple of Apple Store accounts to get around the geo lock - I lived in TH for 10 years and downloaded several apps that were only available through the TH store.

It's a huge PITA when it comes to updates - I have to logout of one to login with the other, but, at least I can use them regardless of where I am.

 

[Andz]

Mrs SS downloaded the app but it just won't accept her phone number. She has tried to input her number about 20 times both with and without the leading 0. She is using iPhone 8. Anyone know if the app is using a faulty algorithm?

low battery mode disabled and Bluetooth enabled.

 

[Archphoto]

But its already been stated the app does definitely not need to be "on screen". The requirements are

• Phone is switched on
• The app is running in background
• Bluetooth is switched on

clo
The phone screen does not need to be active, the phone doesn't even need to be "full power", you can run it in battery save mode. Those lessons were learnt from the failures of the Singapore app.

On the iPhone it appears that the app actually needs to be open (hide the app screen) - my folks and I downloaded on Sunday. I like to think I'm *not* an idiot (many will disagree) and checked that the BT was on (yup!) and then closed the app on all phones.

Yesterday I decided to do some research on what "the app is running in background" actually means, with regard to this particular app and the iPhone. So I opened my app and then hid it - my folk's apps remained "closed" but with BT on.

Sure enough, 24 hrs after they downloaded, both of their phones got a message from the app, reminding them that for it to work, it needed to be "running" - ie: it needs to be OPEN with Bluetooth on, unlike some other apps that use location services and "track" where you are regardless of whether said app/s is/are running or not.

So, this little test has proven:

• I actually am an idiot!
• Bluetooth in this app doesn't "track" you - if that was the case, if I closed the app it would actually be operating as it is supposed to be, not telling me every 24hrs to "Be a good Aussie and turn me back on, you idiot!!!" (see even it knows me oh so well!)
• Location services in apps do track your location unless you turn them off (and as it was discussed upthread) even that is a load of BS when you start digging.

And now back to my "normal" programming - whatever that currently is . . .

 

[SydneySwan]

low battery mode disabled and Bluetooth enabled.

Those were her settings. Anyway tried again and it worked first time. Go figure. When I was a programmer it always bothered me when an application's behaviour changed when nothing had apparently changed. I always needed an explanation.

 

[RooFlyer]

OK, the first 'pull apart' of the app (Android version) is available.

The report is here: COVIDSafe - Initial Analysis

The opening part of the web presentation:

Despite some small discrepancies the COVIDSafe application is as described and seems safe to use. Over the last 20 hours the team at qte.am has been reverse engineering the COVIDSafe application for Android and iOS. The work is still ongoing, especially for iOS and has been hindered by the lack of open source code. However no obvious code obfuscation was used and we have been able to use the decompiled code to determine, how the application works, where its technical strengths are, and what we would suggest should be changed.

Much of this analysis has been based on the Android deployment, but several security best-practices such as certificate pinning and missing open source acknowledgements have also been detected in the iOS decompiled code.

With the caveat of working only with a decompiled code base rather than full source code, we could find no significant security flaws, no GPS and location tracking or unexpected server communication within the application and no behaviors significantly outside the stated purpose of this contact tracing application and no obvious security flaws.

 

[Archphoto]

On the iPhone it appears that the app actually needs to be open (hide the app screen) - my folks and I downloaded on Sunday. I like to think I'm *not* an idiot (many will disagree) and checked that the BT was on (yup!) and then closed the app on all phones.

Yesterday I decided to do some research on what "the app is running in background" actually means, with regard to this particular app and the iPhone. So I opened my app and then hid it - my folk's apps remained "closed" but with BT on.

Sure enough, 24 hrs after they downloaded, both of their phones got a message from the app, reminding them that for it to work, it needed to be "running" - ie: it needs to be OPEN with Bluetooth on, unlike some other apps that use location services and "track" where you are regardless of whether said app/s is/are running or not.

So, this little test has proven:

• I actually am an idiot!
• Bluetooth in this app doesn't "track" you - if that was the case, if I closed the app it would actually be operating as it is supposed to be, not telling me every 24hrs to "Be a good Aussie and turn me back on, you idiot!!!" (see even it knows me oh so well!)
• Location services in apps do track your location unless you turn them off (and as it was discussed upthread) even that is a load of BS when you start digging.

And now back to my "normal" programming - whatever that currently is . . .

And another little quirk my folks just discovered - if the phone is turned off it reminds you to "Be a good Aussie and turn me back on, you idiot!!!", with a pop-up message, when you turn it back on.

Such a polite and positive little app indeed . . .

 

[RooFlyer]

Arrrrgh!! SBS news just described it as a 'tracking app' Yeah, journos ... Quote any at your peril ...

 

[nickfromeastryde]

In theory it is good the public good is more important than personal benefit, but we should also cater for those that do have a well grounded belief this app is not trust worthy for privacy concerns to those people that have such concerns?

You need to specify what your "well grounded belief"s are?. Shouldn't be allowed as a defense if you end up infecting someone or worse

 

[p--and--t]

On the iPhone it appears that the app actually needs to be open (hide the app screen

That's what running in background means. The app is active but not on the screen. If you close the app it obviously doesn't work (like all other apps)

 

[samh004]

From what I understand though in background though it can still communicate to incoming requests from Android or Apple devices, but Apple-Apple users are less likely to be recorded at present.

Unless you close the app by swiping up, isn't it always open?

The phone screen does not need to be active, the phone doesn't even need to be "full power", you can run it in battery save mode. Those lessons were learnt from the failures of the Singapore app.

I stand corrected in that case. I look forward to it never sending me a notification (because I hopefully haven't come into contact with someone who has tested positive).

In theory it is good the public good is more important than personal benefit, but we should also cater for those that do have a well grounded belief this app is not trust worthy for privacy concerns to those people that have such concerns?

I guess the real test is that if the data was misused in a year or so for a drug bust or some other supposedly illegal use of the collected data, then the public would be even more wary in the future if there was another pandemic or issue that required a crowd sourcing effort by the public. What I'm saying is, it's in the governments best interests not to abuse the trust, because there wont be a second chance if they abuse it the first time.

 

[DC3]

In theory it is good the public good is more important than personal benefit, but we should also cater for those that do have a well grounded belief this app is not trust worthy for privacy concerns to those people that have such concerns?

You need to specify what your "well grounded belief"s are?. Shouldn't be allowed as a defense if you end up infecting someone or worse

However, we need to bear in mind that we have differing views on all sorts of things on AFF, and no-one is actually obliged to respond to the questions of other members if they choose not to. Even if this may seem to be a bit frustrating at times.

 

[p--and--t]

However, we need to bear in mind that we have differing views on all sorts of things on AFF, and no-one is actually obliged to respond to the questions of other members if they choose not to. Even if this may seem to be a bit frustrating at times.

Agree. This is should be a civilised discussion forum that allows us to have & discuss differing views on subjects and also should allow members to participate or not participate to the extent they wish as long as they show respect for other members. (I do, however, have a strong preference not to be reading some of the pure rants in some threads on here loaded with unsupported hyperbole - not applicable/unrelated to current discussion )

 

[Archphoto]

That's what running in background means. The app is active but not on the screen. If you close the app it obviously doesn't work (like all other apps)

My mail, Facebook, Instagram etc all give notifications even when the app is closed.

How do these differ to the CS app? That is what confused me, and why I initially closed the app after installing.

Like I said „I’m an idiot!“.

 

[dajop]

Arrrrgh!! SBS news just described it as a 'tracking app'

I suppose k is just below i on the keyboard. May have accidentally added the letter k and spell check didn't pick it up?

 

[get me outta here]

Was just thinking the same thing. Tracing / tracking, that ‘k’ makes a difference. I’d be incommunicado if I considered every misnomer a big issue.

It is early days, and some naturally cautious people may take a few days to come around to it, especially if they are not spending 15 mins with anyone else at the moment. Impatience and finger pointing from early adopters won’t help.

I suppose k is just below i on the keyboard. May have accidentally added the letter k and spell check didn't pick it up?

 

[Major]

I downloaded the app yesterday morning and initially told me my mobile no. was invalid. Bugger.

Tried again in the afternoon and my mobile was accepted immediately. Must have just been a morning rush.

Yeh...success

Clever little app