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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

#81

Post by remuskaos »

okdjnfweonfe wrote: post #77
fragileone wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought this was well-known, Android is not private at all until you degoogle. Unlock your bootloader then install a ROM without Google Play Services such as GrapheneOS, CalyxOS or LineageOS. You can consider installing microG also as an open-source minimal implementation of Google Play Services if some of it's functionality is absolutely necessary for you to keep.

That doesn't fix the issue ISPs mandate certain capabilities of the cellular modem + the simcards (remember java cards? that ran java? they still exist as simcards!) Government RCE is still 100% on the table regardless of whatever software your phone is running

Do any of the privacy oriented custom ROMs protect against that? I can't imagine their maintainers seeing code that just installs any app the ISP wants and be okay with it.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#83

Post by Hackbraten »

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 Corona Warn App won’t give you a warning unless you’ve spent a minimum amount of time next to that person. In Germany, patients often spend only very few minutes near the doctors themselves. That may explain the lack of warnings.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#84

Post by esyir »

dagi3d wrote: post #79
ElViajero wrote: post #56

It is obvious that we need better legislation to deal with all the new possibilities that technologies have opened. The installation of this app, even done with good intent, open a lot of questions on what should be possible or not to be done by government and corporations. When you get a device with pre-installed, uninstallable, or auto-installed apps. What are the rules? > "By enabling this service, you can be quic…

> In this case it seems that the same goal could have been better achieved by SMS that do not depend on the brand of your phone. The dependency on proprietary app stores and OSs seems a risk for the continuation of a free and reliable communications. While installing an app without users consent can be as questionable as you want, the point about these apps are not the notifications itself but about the contact traci…

This sounds worse to me? Rather than violation of a relatively small privacy (phone number), you instead get timestamp social graph interactions in the physical world. This seems like fat more extreme an invasion than the former.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#85

Post by Boomerchick »

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

Gov is breaking into your house at midnight to sell face masks.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#86

Post by marcan_42 »

esyir wrote: post #84
dagi3d wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In this case it seems that the same goal could have been better achieved by SMS that do not depend on the brand of your phone. The dependency on proprietary app stores and OSs seems a risk for the continuation of a free and reliable communications. While installing an app without users consent can be as questionable as you want, the point about these apps are not the notifications itself but about the contact traci…

This sounds worse to me? Rather than violation of a relatively small privacy (phone number), you instead get timestamp social graph interactions in the physical world. This seems like fat more extreme an invasion than the former.

Read up on how the contact tracing apps work. They do not upload your data to the cloud. Phones broadcast a rolling random identifier, other phones collect received identifiers, and only on confirmed infection does the person's phone upload its last two weeks of broadcast IDs to the cloud, where other phones can grab them and cross-check.

Having someone's phone number allows you (via the phone company) to trace their location at any time, forever. That is much worse.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#87

Post by triska »

This is very inconsiderate.

For example, depending on your cell phone plan, data transfer may incur high costs, especially when roaming etc. Therefore, owners of cell phones may be interested in limiting it to the absolute minimum.

As I see it, this consideration by itself already should have prevented this automatic installation.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#88

Post by thinkingemote »

marcan_42 wrote: post #86
esyir wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds worse to me? Rather than violation of a relatively small privacy (phone number), you instead get timestamp social graph interactions in the physical world. This seems like fat more extreme an invasion than the former.

Read up on how the contact tracing apps work. They do not upload your data to the cloud. Phones broadcast a rolling random identifier, other phones collect received identifiers, and only on confirmed infection does the person's phone upload its last two weeks of broadcast IDs to the cloud, where other phones can grab them and cross-check. Having someone's phone number allows you (via the phone company) to trace their…

I think the low adoption is because it's hard to explain. No one on my street, none of the most vulnerable people would understand your paragraph.

No wonder it's not being adopted by those who should be adopting it, but just being used by vigilant young tech savvy and already covid safe people.

So not only are only a small number of people using it, these people are least likely to make a difference using it.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#89

Post by baybal2 »

FYI: Google can remotely install/delete/alter any app on your phone without your notice if you have GAPPS installed, and they removed the option to disable it back in 2.* days.

This is very rampant in India. Operators keep pushing crapware like Linkedin app, clash of kings, etc for money from app vendors.

Re: Massachusetts health notifications app installed without users’ knowledge

#90

Post by arpstick »

a government installing a software without notice or consent onto their population's devices is not something a healthy functioning democracy does, it's what a psychotic paranoid despot does. if the Mass Gov truly wants to minimize harm this is the opposite of what needs to be done. all this will do is drive conspiracy theories and deepen a very legitimate mistrust in the institutions that plague the USA (which helped give rise to people like donald trump)
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