Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
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Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#2This is one of those rare cases where you have to directly balance lives against privacy.
My feeling is that while privacy is important, it's being taken a bit too seriously given the severity of the crisis.
Google and Facebook et al. carry out far more involved and intimate surveillance of people's lives than would be required for an app as described in the article.
Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#3I installed the contact tracing app from the Indian government on my phone. It won't let me use it without giving location access, not even just to see the app.
The Indian government does not have a great track record when it comes to privacy and information security. (https://www.firstpost.com/india/aadhaar-data-leak-details-of...) Aadhar is the Indian equivalent of the US SSN.
While the cause is noble, there is always the problem with setting precedents, and as governments are known to use Riders (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rider_(legislation)), I don't trust them they won't use Covid-19 to further their agenda either.
This is what happens when you erode peoples trust. I for one will not be using these apps.
Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#4This is one of those rare cases where you have to directly balance lives against privacy. My feeling is that while privacy is important, it's being taken a bit too seriously given the severity of the crisis. Google and Facebook et al. carry out far more involved and intimate surveillance of people's lives than would be required for an app as described in the article.
[deleted]
Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#5This is one of those rare cases where you have to directly balance lives against privacy. My feeling is that while privacy is important, it's being taken a bit too seriously given the severity of the crisis. Google and Facebook et al. carry out far more involved and intimate surveillance of people's lives than would be required for an app as described in the article.
This is one of the few cases where more privacy might literally save lives, because people will be more inclined to install the app if the privacy is taken more seriously. There was a poll where Germans were asked if they would install a contact tracing app. Some 40% sayed yes outright. Another 40% said "only if privacy concerns are addressed". So you're looking at a potential 40% market penetration without proper privacy and 80% with, which greatly changes the impact the app can have on reducing the spread of the virus.
(Disclosure: I'm a member of CCC and chairman of a local chapter.)
Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#6This is one of those rare cases where you have to directly balance lives against privacy. My feeling is that while privacy is important, it's being taken a bit too seriously given the severity of the crisis. Google and Facebook et al. carry out far more involved and intimate surveillance of people's lives than would be required for an app as described in the article.
That's maybe true, but giving governments the possibility to create movement profiles of people and correlate them is extremely dangerous. Maybe your current government is liberal enough to forego using the political aspect of the tracking app, but you can never be sure that this stays the case. What about governments with authoritarian regimes?
Finally regarding Google/FB: Why would you give up even more of your privacy?
Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#7This is one of those rare cases where you have to directly balance lives against privacy. My feeling is that while privacy is important, it's being taken a bit too seriously given the severity of the crisis. Google and Facebook et al. carry out far more involved and intimate surveillance of people's lives than would be required for an app as described in the article.
This is one of the few cases where more privacy might literally save lives, because people will be more inclined to install the app if the privacy is taken more seriously. There was a poll where Germans were asked if they would install a contact tracing app. Some 40% sayed yes outright. Another 40% said "only if privacy concerns are addressed". So you're looking at a potential 40% market penetration without proper pr…
This is one of the few cases where mandatory installation of apps will save lives, as seen in China/SK.
For those "40% only if privacy concerns are addressed" there is a gradient of privacy. How many of them will still have concerns no matter what? And how many will not install anything out of laziness/comfort?
Meanwhile, Google and Facebook are installed in 90%+ of phones and happily scoop up location data every day.
Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#8This is one of those rare cases where you have to directly balance lives against privacy. My feeling is that while privacy is important, it's being taken a bit too seriously given the severity of the crisis. Google and Facebook et al. carry out far more involved and intimate surveillance of people's lives than would be required for an app as described in the article.
It is not relevant what would be required. It is only relevant what’s actually in there.
Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#9Entire countries are under house arrest. I don't trust the government but I also want my parents to be able to go to store or hospital without risking their lives. Pretty much everybody is either in at-risk group themselves or has a close relative or friend who is at-risk.
Maybe this isn't the dystopia we deserve, but it's the dystopia we need.
Re: Corona App – 10 requirements for the evaluation of “Contact Tracing” apps
#10This is one of those rare cases where you have to directly balance lives against privacy. My feeling is that while privacy is important, it's being taken a bit too seriously given the severity of the crisis. Google and Facebook et al. carry out far more involved and intimate surveillance of people's lives than would be required for an app as described in the article.
This is not an all-or-nothing scenario. The choice is not between an app that saves lives and compromises privacy, or no app and lives lost. Privacy preserving technologies exist, and now is the time to use them.
There is an additional technological cost, but that's what we should weigh the privacy costs against. The choice is between an app that doesn't care about privacy versus one that does.