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U.S. govt, tech industry discuss using location data to combat coronavirus

washingtonpost.com

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Re: U.S. govt, tech industry discuss using location data to combat coronavirus

#61

Post by sifar »

bscphil wrote: post #28

The interesting thing about ideas like this is that they reveal how authoritarianism during times of stability does a terrible amount of damage during times of crisis. This is the sort of problem that could be solved in a better world; collecting location data to find interactions between people would allow you to get them tested faster and prevent a disease from spreading. But it simply can't be done in this country…

>> paranoid about privacy issues

it is not paranoia but an acknowledgement of the times we live in.

>> our secret agencies are actively planning to exploit this crisis to be able to spy on us in the future.

this is based on their past history. Like you said, it is entirely due to utter lack of trust.

Re: U.S. govt, tech industry discuss using location data to combat coronavirus

#65

Post by CriticalCathed »

bobloblaw45 wrote: post #40
bscphil wrote: post #28

The interesting thing about ideas like this is that they reveal how authoritarianism during times of stability does a terrible amount of damage during times of crisis. This is the sort of problem that could be solved in a better world; collecting location data to find interactions between people would allow you to get them tested faster and prevent a disease from spreading. But it simply can't be done in this country…

Yeah this is kinda how we got the Patriot Act.

Which also has a sunset clause that will never ever be allowed to expire. All this talk of temporary authority is a joke.

Re: U.S. govt, tech industry discuss using location data to combat coronavirus

#67

Post by mshroyer »

nicois wrote: post #38

I suggested something similar but based on using Bluetooth and running an app locally. This would be more sensitive to proximity while potentially giving away slightly less data about exactly where you are, and easier to opt out of, either temporarily (while at home say) or completely. There could also be the option of logging nearby Bluetooth addresses locally only and looking up an online database of infected owner…

I was thinking along similar lines. Maybe it's possible to use BLE for this (don't know if the standard PXP profiles would be applicable or you'd need something else).

You could also have app-level 24-hour rolling identifiers to prevent non-infected people's contacts from being correlated over time, even locally—if that would make people more comfortable using such an app. (The app would have to keep track of all its previous identifiers; if the user is found to be infected, all their previous identifiers would be marked as such in the database.)

Some challenges off the top of my head:

- What polling rate is needed? (How do disease experts define a "contact"?) What's the battery impact?

- What fraction of the population has BLE-capable phones?

- What fraction of the population keeps their phones physically on their person as they go about their day?

- Can distance be roughly inferred from RSSI? Does the mapping of RSSI to distance vary much depending on the transmitting radio / phone model?

- If you live in an apartment, you might be identified as a "contact" of your neighbor even if you never breathe the same air, etc.

Re: U.S. govt, tech industry discuss using location data to combat coronavirus

#68

Post by ray991 »

What if every coronavirus victim voluntarily uploads their location data publically (their identity kept anonymous). Now you can, without uploading your own data anywhere, check if you have ever been in vicinity of any of them. If you have been, you can get tested and then upload your own data if that comes out positive. This way not eveyone has to share their data, only a few who have been infected.

Re: U.S. govt, tech industry discuss using location data to combat coronavirus

#69

Post by sgt101 »

kanox wrote: post #12
creato wrote: post #4

Wouldn't it make more sense to work with the cell service providers? Surely at least some people turn off location permissions? I would think the cell service providers have much more reliable data.

> I would think the cell service providers have much more reliable data. Google tracks location history from GPS and this is accurate to at most a few meters and it can be use to check if people walked by each other on the street. As far as I know phone service providers don't have anything similar. The cell you're connected to can cover an entire neighborhood.

That was true for GSM, but 3g & 4g have directional signal management, and track location to enable cell 2 cell handover. Information is limited inside.
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