Coronavirus - New Zealand
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It looks like the NZ COVID Tracer app has been released early.
Link to the NZ COVID Tracer app: https://tracing.covid19.govt.nz/?r=link
Privacy and Security Statement: https://tracing.covid19.govt.nz/help/privacypolicy
Edited to add that it wouldn't surprise me if the app was not meant to released yet and that someone stuffed up.
I'd wait signing up until after the official announcement (on Wednesday?) so they can still fix bugs if there are any. -
@Stargazer said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
It looks like the NZ COVID Tracer app has been released early.
Link to the NZ COVID Tracer app: https://tracing.covid19.govt.nz/?r=link
Privacy and Security Statement: https://tracing.covid19.govt.nz/help/privacypolicy
Edited to add that it wouldn't surprise me if the app was not meant to released yet and that someone stuffed up.
I'd wait signing up until after the official announcement (on Wednesday?) so they can still fix bugs if there are any.Would let the boffins bang on that before downloading it. Government and IT are not great bedfellows (personal experience)
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@Stargazer said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan Yeah, I usually wait until an app is in use for a while. Most new apps have bugs and need a few updates, before they're reliable.
And this one is a location tracker, so you want to make sure they deal with the data responsibly. Particularly if you are woman.
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@Kirwan Ideally it could keep data private, but if you register in a certain area, and someone gets infected there (in a range) it sends an alert asking you to submit your location data to see if you need to come in for testing (realise this is not perfect, but might allay some fears about innappropriate use of data)
The other thing, I hope it is a touch to 'check in' to record data, rather than when you go somewhere you have to enter details.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Stargazer said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan Yeah, I usually wait until an app is in use for a while. Most new apps have bugs and need a few updates, before they're reliable.
And this one is a location tracker, so you want to make sure they deal with the data responsibly. Particularly if you are woman.
Had one of our analysts showing us what they can do with their data at the start of the year....fuuuuuck me. "Anonymous" my arse. It's mesmerising and scary at the same time.
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@taniwharugby said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan Ideally it could keep data private, but if you register in a certain area, and someone gets infected there (in a range) it sends an alert asking you to submit your location data to see if you need to come in for testing (realise this is not perfect, but might allay some fears about innappropriate use of data)
The other thing, I hope it is a touch to 'check in' to record data, rather than when you go somewhere you have to enter details.
The Apple/Google approach kept sensitive data on device and just shared keys, much hard to hack or less prone to inadvertent privacy breaches.
They also engineered it as an API that they remove after the crisis so countries looking to abuse this long term wouldn’t be able to (looking at you comrade Cindy).
If they have used that API it will be pretty safe. If they have rolled their own I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole
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@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Siam said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
After 2 weeks of no new infections, where does the next one come from, if borders are closed?
Returning citizens and residents and their families might bring a few more back.
So quarantine is now useless? Good to know.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Siam said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
After 2 weeks of no new infections, where does the next one come from, if borders are closed?
Returning citizens and residents and their families might bring a few more back.
So quarantine is now useless? Good to know.
Quarantine doesn't stop them returning or bringing it into the stats, but it should keep it from spreading beyond that.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
The Apple/Google approach kept sensitive data on device and just shared keys, much hard to hack or less prone to inadvertent privacy breaches.
They also engineered it as an API that they remove after the crisis so countries looking to abuse this long term wouldn’t be able to (looking at you comrade Cindy).
If they have used that API it will be pretty safe. If they have rolled their own I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole
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You can find that and other info in the privacy and security statement:How long will my information be kept?
Information you enter about yourself, including physical address(es), will be stored for the duration of the New Zealand government’s COVID-19 pandemic response, then it will be deleted. The only exception will be if the information has become part of your personal health record if you have COVID-19 or are a potential close contact, in which case the information will be held on your file after the pandemic response has ended.
Information of recorded locations will be held only on your phone. This will be removed 31 days after it was collected by you.
You can uninstall the NZ COVID Tracer App at any time. This will delete any information held on your device but this will not automatically delete the contact information you have uploaded via the NZ COVID Tracer App. If you wish to have this contact information deleted please email tracingapp-feedback@health.govt.nz
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@Stargazer yep read that, lots of vague comments IMO. In the interests of transparency would like an outside security audit to ensure no data leakage.
We are talking about a government that couldn’t keep secret meetings with journalists secret.
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@Stargazer said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan Sorry, maybe a stupid question, but with "no data leakage", are you referring to the technology? (as in, for example, it can be hacked?)
That’s one aspect, recording data they don’t need is another. Using it for other purposes than it was meant for too, there is some vague language about departments sharing data.
Lots of ways this sort of data collection can go wrong, and has for many, many companies.
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@Kirwan This app seems very similar to exercise trackers such as Google Fit, Runkeeper, Map My Run (and social media if you allow them access to your location data) etc, except that those apps are owned/controlled by anonymous people working for big, powerful private companies without any oversight or accountability compared to this tracer app. I'd be far more worried about my privacy using those kind of apps than this tracer app.
But above all, I distrust the technology and their makers (and anyone able to hack it) more than the few government departments involved, who can only use the data you provide (voluntarily) for the purpose of contact tracing and only within a limited timeframe.
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@Stargazer said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan This app seems very similar to exercise trackers such as Google Fit, Runkeeper, Map My Run (and social media if you allow them access to your location data) etc, except that those apps are owned/controlled by anonymous people working for big, powerful private companies without any oversight or accountability compared to this tracer app. I'd be far more worried about my privacy using those kind of apps than this tracer app.
But above all, I distrust the technology and their makers (and anyone able to hack it) more than the few government departments involved, who can only use the data you provide (voluntarily) for the purpose of contact tracing and only within a limited timeframe.
You are touching on an important area. Many people are very uncomfortable with the sort of data that companies are collecting, and then often selling to other parties. Initially, users were oblivious to what’s been happening but in the last few year more breaches have exposed what has been happening.
The cynic would say because Apple failed with their ad platform, and are behind with their cloud services, that this is the reason they have tripled down on privacy in their products. But it’s an effective PR feature because of all this data misuse.
So you are right to be concerned about companies using this sort of data.
The only thing worse than companies collecting big data is governments. Companies can’t enforce the use of an application, for example. Don’t like being spied on by Google, buy an iPhone and don’t use Google products. You have a choice.
We just came out of an enforced house arrest for two months, so don’t say it could never happen either. It would all be packaged for the common good, and “what do you have to hide.” And that just the extreme scenario (that we noisily need to prevent). I’m far more concerned about incompetence, poor implementation and a little bit of overreach. All aspects of delivery of this government.
And their record of talking about transparency then acting in the complete opposite direction makes me trust them even less with this data.
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People are so paranoid about their data. People who are otherwise rational human beings.