COVIDSafe App - Safe or Not?
- Helen Luu
- Apr 27, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 28, 2020
As Australia’s coronavirus cases increase by the day, the government has to look at other solutions to slow down the outbreak. The government has introduced an app called COVIDSafe which is designed to help “slow the spread of COVID-19.”
So how does it work?
When an app user tests positive, the app notifies other users where about the positive tested person has been to. If a person tests positive, the health officials can call those who were within 1.5m for 15 minutes or more. The app requires an individual to provide a name, mobile phone, postcode and age range which will then create an encrypted reference code for that person to recognize other users.
Having said this, this raises many concerns about not trusting the government and hackers accessing this information. With Bluetooth having to always be turned on, it makes it easy for hackers to gain access to this information. These concerns have reflected in the apps with only 2 million downloads out of the 25 million population of Australia.
So is this app safe?
There is undoubtedly some questions and concerns, but the question of whether it is safe merely depends on whether you want to flatten the curve and save lives or to have your data protected.
I do believe that this app may be an efficient way to contain the virus and is safe. After all, our data on social media is already being used and sold and our phones can listen to us!
In South Korea, there were over 5000 confirmed cases during the outbreak but within a few weeks, the cases reduced and stabilized dramatically. This was as a result of their MERS outbreak in 2015.
The government came prepared and mass-produced testing kits and created an app system that traces all contacts of those who test positive and isolate those who have been in contact. In situations where contacts are not traceable, for example, a person who tests positive touches the poles on subways, the government is allowed to collect a patient’s data and security footage whilst keeping it anonymously for the public. All these steps are logged and shared on the app to alert people to stay away from areas that are infected or to inform that the infected area is closeby.
This repetitive contact tracing and testing have allowed the country to stabilize their cases of COVID-19 and at the same time avoid heavy lockdowns with the economy running as usual.
Having your data tracked by the government is something new for westernized countries and can be scary.
So what are your thoughts on the COVIDSafe app?
@tinaazheng yep exactly! It is new for westernised countries as we take privacy quite seriously, but if we really want to contain the virus then this is probably the next step we should be taking!
I think that this will be a great app amongst this pandemic. This will alert the community if they have been in close contact with someone that has been infected, and that person can start to take self isolation measures to not further cause the spread of Covid-19. If it has been proven to work in other countries like South Korea, why not try to take similar measures in the United States?
@cheesiawtong yep definitely! It is quite scary what the government is capable of doing by tracking us but in a sense, we do have to work together and flatten the curve. We're not sure of what the future has for us, but it is best to act now than later before it gets too late!
@Vanessa Kadamani The introduction of the tracking app was inevitable! As Australia earns millions of dollars each year from speeding and parking fines, it does raise the question from the public of whether this app is used to fine people who are not obeying the law.
Great blog, this was so interesting to read. I only heard about the COVID-19 app, a few days ago and it felt like the government just wants to know where we are, and although i understand that this can be beneficial i still think its an invasion of privacy. We're currently in lockdown, people are afraid to leave because they might get a fine, so are they doing this just to see if we're obeying the law? It's amazing how South Korea were able to do such a good job with their app.
I would say the Convid safe apps is totally a great and innovative idea for tracking the virus. It is also efficient and make the government work easily by tracking the people as the staffs could not track the patients one by one (there is more than hundred of patient). However, I think that there is a chance that some people might use this opportunity to hacked the information of users and scam on them.