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Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

safepaths.mit.edu

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Re: Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

#32
Israel's ministry of health has released a similar app [1] (open source [2]). Location is stored locally, and cross checked with confirmed covid-19 patients location history. You get a notification if you were close to a patient

(1) https://medium.com/@oleiba/hamagen-fight-coronavirus-and-pre...

(2) https://github.com/MohGovIL/hamagen-react-native

Re: Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

#34
I don’t think this is reliable enough if you like to stay safe while being out, although it seems better than nothing.

Considering that aerosols are a plausible infection vector, it becomes necessary to introduce air flow models that include building ventilations for a reliable outcome of location based monitoring. Honestly, I consider this a major, and quite risky undertaking. Already a retrospective analysis of who-infected-whom based on location will turn out quite incomplete.

As a side note while being quarantined at home: please consider closing building ventilations, talk to your neighbor to coordinate asynchronous window opening procedures, and ensure closed sewage systems.

Why do I come to these conclusions?

1. It is plausible that SARS-CoV-2 behaves like SARS-CoV-1 in aerosol transmission. https://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2004973

2. It took quite an effort to find out how SARS-CoV-1 spreaded from one single flat to other flats and to nearby buildings that were located in the direction of wind. Indeed, it is assumed that sewage ventilation played a role here. https://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa032867

Re: Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

#35
I had been a staunch advocate of not sharing any personal information wherever possible, but recently I've been thinking whether I've approached the whole privacy issue from a wrong angle.

Maybe there isn't anything wrong with sharing our data and information for the public good. After all, we almost view it self-evident that transparency is good for communities at large. The real issue is that most of the parties who come after our data are only interested in exploiting us to make more money.

Given this thought, I believe I would be inclined to share my data with orgs that I know are trying to do public good in a verifiable and transparent way.

Re: Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe that is what they refuse. I refuse it.

Wow. It’s so selfish to sacrifice other people’s lives for your own delusional paranoia.

It's worse than delusional paranoia.

Because it's not necessarily delusional, or paranoid.

Give them the benefit of the doubt: Assume they are competent, healthy adults, who really believe in what they say.

With that assumed, it's someone choosing to sacrifice other people's lives for their political values.

Personally I think that situation crosses the "your right to swing your fist ends at my nose" line.

We should certainly build systems that protect privacy if we can, to the extent we can. I'm very pro privacy, not against privacy at all.

But to the extent values conflict in a material situation, such as privacy versus not harming other people in a deadly way as the current crisis, we have to choose priorities, and then be smart and subtle about retaining as much of our overall values as we still can given the priorities.

Re: Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

#37
Separate from the "current crisis" and retrospective contact-tracing:

Are there any existing apps that keep a high-resolution trail of where you've been, without ever uploading it to the cloud? (Or, only uploading it to a location you choose, encrypted to a key you hold?)

Something like Google "Location History", but without Google or any other intermediary data-silos who could be compromised to reveal my data against my wishes.

Re: Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

#38
post #37

Separate from the "current crisis" and retrospective contact-tracing: Are there any existing apps that keep a high-resolution trail of where you've been, without ever uploading it to the cloud? (Or, only uploading it to a location you choose, encrypted to a key you hold?) Something like Google "Location History", but without Google or any other intermediary data-silos who could be compromised to reveal my data agains…

Opentracks is an Android app that you could do this with.

Re: Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

#39

I don’t think this is reliable enough if you like to stay safe while being out, although it seems better than nothing. Considering that aerosols are a plausible infection vector, it becomes necessary to introduce air flow models that include building ventilations for a reliable outcome of location based monitoring. Honestly, I consider this a major, and quite risky undertaking. Already a retrospective analysis of who…

hi i’m your neighbor would you like to coordinate our window openings? fucking lol

Re: Private Kit: Can we slow the spread without giving up individual privacy?

#40
post #5

Individual privacy is where I draw a line in the sand. I'm ready to do many things, but that does not include allowing geotracking, geofencing or any other restriction on the freedom of movement and freedom of assembly. The government can shut businesses, shut public parks and beaches, but what we do in our homes, clubs and other private properties is off limits.

> any other restriction on the freedom of movement and freedom of assembly People abusing these freedoms in spite of lockdowns are what's going to kill hundreds of thousands of people in the coming days.

If the cost of liberty is hundred thousands of life, let it be.

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety"

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