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Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

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Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#21

Post by sildur »

kuschku wrote: post #12
boredpudding wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The worrying part is that it was installed without consent.

There’s nothing worrying about that. You get tons of apps installed without consent (including whatever spam your network provider pushes on you). This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. The largest trouble for the German version of the app was that not enough people installed it. Choosing to install it automatically isn’t something nef…

> There’s nothing worrying about that. You get tons of apps installed without consent (including whatever spam your network provider pushes on you).

That is different. They are pre-installed and I can list them and disable them. They do not install suddenly by themselves months after buying the device. If they did so, there would be an outrage.

> This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks.

Yeah, "for our own good". Next time it would be an app that sends an alarm when an excon is near you. And next time it would be an app that sends an alarm when someone who shows dangerous opinions (ie. against government) is near you. No thanks, please unsubscribe me of this Chinese dystopia.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#22

Post by Animats »

gostsamo wrote: post #4

Here is an official page for the same app. Interesting what is the whole story. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/enable-massnotify-on-your-...

Why do this at this late date? A year ago it would have been useful. Now, 59% of Massachusetts's population has been fully vaccinated. About 70% have at least one shot. A bit more pushing and they'll hit 80%, which seems to be about where the epidemic dies out for lack of new carriers.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#23

Post by delusional »

m463 wrote: post #11
murderfs wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One comment also says that it's a Communist conspiracy. Over in reality, though, the only permissions it has are to use the internet and bluetooth: https://hastebin.com/yexoyuluzu.xml

I would imagine you can get location by getting in range of those edison beacons google is pushing.

If it works like all the other covid tracking apps it just records randomized bluetooth beacons emitted by all the phones near you.

You can get location in a ton of ways, but I doubt the OS will let you without the proper permission.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#24

Post by sc11 »

88840-8855 wrote: post #10
kuschku wrote: post #6

The app is just a fork of the German Corona-Warn-App [1][2]. From what I can tell only the UI was modified, the codebase seems to be still the same. Honestly, pushing the app to users isn’t anything to worry about – and in fact something I’d have loved to see other countries do as well. ________ [1] https://www.coronawarn.app/en/ [2] https://github.com/corona-warn-app

Except, the Corona Warn App is the biggest crap that I have ever seen. Yes, the code is open and free and super transparent; morally superior. But what about the effectiveness of this app? Even the German officials do not mention this app since many many many months. The app was criticised from all sides due to lack of effectiveness. Even the freedom-loving large news outlets published their opinions that they would…

The app was recently evaluated for effectiveness.[1] 110-230k people were tested positive as a result of a warning and therefore isolated. They found that it had about the same effect as the tracing efforts by all public health authorities combined.

[1] article in German about it https://www.heise.de/news/RKI-Schaetzung-Warn-App-hat-mehr-a...

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#25

Post by nibix »

kuschku wrote: post #6

The app is just a fork of the German Corona-Warn-App [1][2]. From what I can tell only the UI was modified, the codebase seems to be still the same. Honestly, pushing the app to users isn’t anything to worry about – and in fact something I’d have loved to see other countries do as well. ________ [1] https://www.coronawarn.app/en/ [2] https://github.com/corona-warn-app

People just will worry about apps which suddenly appear on their phones without their action. And this is totally justified, as the chance that this could be something malicious is much higher than being something non-malicious.

Having said that, I totally agree that German government should have done more to push the Corona Warn App - but only in public relation terms. I totally think Corona Warn App does not live to its full potential in Germany because it is not installed widely enough. But you just cannot do this by force.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#26

Post by ganzuul »

kuschku wrote: post #16
88840-8855 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except, the Corona Warn App is the biggest crap that I have ever seen. Yes, the code is open and free and super transparent; morally superior. But what about the effectiveness of this app? Even the German officials do not mention this app since many many many months. The app was criticised from all sides due to lack of effectiveness. Even the freedom-loving large news outlets published their opinions that they would…

> The app was criticised from all sides due to lack of effectiveness. That’s because not enough users use it. About 10% of Germans have the app installed. Massachusetts deciding to auto-install the app on every device is the logical conclusion if you consider those statistics.

That's some seriously flawed logic, and a much bigger issue, if you are correct. They should have tried an information campaign first. If that didn't work then clearly people voted against it, and they have no business going against that. If they think they know better than the people they undermine democracy.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#27

Post by sildur »

kuschku wrote: post #16
88840-8855 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except, the Corona Warn App is the biggest crap that I have ever seen. Yes, the code is open and free and super transparent; morally superior. But what about the effectiveness of this app? Even the German officials do not mention this app since many many many months. The app was criticised from all sides due to lack of effectiveness. Even the freedom-loving large news outlets published their opinions that they would…

> The app was criticised from all sides due to lack of effectiveness. That’s because not enough users use it. About 10% of Germans have the app installed. Massachusetts deciding to auto-install the app on every device is the logical conclusion if you consider those statistics.

Me installing a custom rom without google play, and with aurora app store is the logical conclusion.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#28

Post by cromka »

Animats wrote: post #22
gostsamo wrote: post #4

Here is an official page for the same app. Interesting what is the whole story. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/enable-massnotify-on-your-...

Why do this at this late date? A year ago it would have been useful. Now, 59% of Massachusetts's population has been fully vaccinated. About 70% have at least one shot. A bit more pushing and they'll hit 80%, which seems to be about where the epidemic dies out for lack of new carriers.

Out of fear for a new, dangerous strain, perhaps?

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#29

Post by mhils »

88840-8855 wrote: post #10
kuschku wrote: post #6

The app is just a fork of the German Corona-Warn-App [1][2]. From what I can tell only the UI was modified, the codebase seems to be still the same. Honestly, pushing the app to users isn’t anything to worry about – and in fact something I’d have loved to see other countries do as well. ________ [1] https://www.coronawarn.app/en/ [2] https://github.com/corona-warn-app

Except, the Corona Warn App is the biggest crap that I have ever seen. Yes, the code is open and free and super transparent; morally superior. But what about the effectiveness of this app? Even the German officials do not mention this app since many many many months. The app was criticised from all sides due to lack of effectiveness. Even the freedom-loving large news outlets published their opinions that they would…

The RKI estimates the contribution that the Corona-Warn-App makes to containment to be roughly as high as that of all health authorities together. [1]

I'm surprised your brother has not received any notifications. My partner is a doctor at a major university hospital and has been warned repeatedly to say the least. During the second wave, the Corona Warn App showed low or high risk warnings pretty much every week.

[1] https://www.heise.de/news/RKI-Schaetzung-Warn-App-hat-mehr-a... (German)

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#30

Post by jackjeff »

boredpudding wrote: post #8
kuschku wrote: post #6

The app is just a fork of the German Corona-Warn-App [1][2]. From what I can tell only the UI was modified, the codebase seems to be still the same. Honestly, pushing the app to users isn’t anything to worry about – and in fact something I’d have loved to see other countries do as well. ________ [1] https://www.coronawarn.app/en/ [2] https://github.com/corona-warn-app

The worrying part is that it was installed without consent.

Exactly. Is that even legal?
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