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Singapore to Open Source Bluetooth Contact Tracing

bluetrace.io

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Re: Singapore to Open Source Bluetooth Contact Tracing

#31

Post by closeparen »

tomcooks wrote: post #27
mshroyer wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is needlessly cynical. TraceTogether uses client-side logging so as to leave data in the hands of the users up until it's actually needed for contact tracing. Would you suggest that we not have public health departments engage in contact tracing at all to combat the pandemic? If so, I'm not sure what to tell you. Otherwise, apps may go a long way to improve the speed and accuracy of contact tracing. Here in the…

Cynical for sure, don't know about that "needlessly" given it's an endless fight where everytime you give up a right it's taken away forever. This time they give you the opensource bit, next time it's "a matter of emergency", then they stop asking and just punish you if you don't comply. >Would you suggest that we not have public health departments engage in contact tracing at all to combat the pandemic? If so, I'm n…

The point of contact tracing is to find out who to quarantine, so you don’t have to lock down the entire population. It’s not a “copout,” it’s the bread and butter of epidemic mitigation. It’s why most of them don’t get to this point.

Re: Singapore to Open Source Bluetooth Contact Tracing

#35

Post by freeflight »

pythonaut_16 wrote: post #25
tomcooks wrote: post #12

Can't wait to be tracked by tech developed by a governmental team in the name of safety. Opensource or not a leash is a leash.

This is much better than tracking people via facial and video recognition captured with near-omnipresent camera feeds. This is tracking signals that an optional device optionally broadcasts (and has for years). You can easily avoid this tracking by not having your phone broadcast bluetooth or by not carrying a phone. Not to mention any number of actors could have already been tracking this signal for years . It's the…

> This is much better than tracking people via facial and video recognition captured with near-omnipresent camera feeds.

This would be a point if near-omnipresent camera feeds were reduced in favor of using this.

But the much more likely outcome is that this will only end up increasing overall surveillance capabilities, not reign them in.

Re: Singapore to Open Source Bluetooth Contact Tracing

#36

Post by raynr »

tomcooks wrote: post #12

Can't wait to be tracked by tech developed by a governmental team in the name of safety. Opensource or not a leash is a leash.

"Never let a serious crisis go to waste" - Rahm Emanuel.

I agree with this and your sentiment, but I think it is misplaced in this instance.

As I understand it, the TraceTogether app collects (and stores locally), information on other users running the TraceTogether app nearby. If our government's contact tracers contact us, we can provide the information, and it can help in contact tracing. This seems to me to be at or near the minimum amount of information collection necessary to fulfil the function. Assuming voluntary widespread adoption, it is useful, and can be uninstalled at any time once the crisis blows over.

Re: Singapore to Open Source Bluetooth Contact Tracing

#37

Post by lern_too_spel »

tomcooks wrote: post #27
mshroyer wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is needlessly cynical. TraceTogether uses client-side logging so as to leave data in the hands of the users up until it's actually needed for contact tracing. Would you suggest that we not have public health departments engage in contact tracing at all to combat the pandemic? If so, I'm not sure what to tell you. Otherwise, apps may go a long way to improve the speed and accuracy of contact tracing. Here in the…

Cynical for sure, don't know about that "needlessly" given it's an endless fight where everytime you give up a right it's taken away forever. This time they give you the opensource bit, next time it's "a matter of emergency", then they stop asking and just punish you if you don't comply. >Would you suggest that we not have public health departments engage in contact tracing at all to combat the pandemic? If so, I'm n…

> everytime you give up a right it's taken away forever.

This is tin foil hat nonsense. The US has implemented martial law before. Those rights weren't taken away forever.

Re: Singapore to Open Source Bluetooth Contact Tracing

#38

Post by throwanem »

Proziam wrote: post #24
mshroyer wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is needlessly cynical. TraceTogether uses client-side logging so as to leave data in the hands of the users up until it's actually needed for contact tracing. Would you suggest that we not have public health departments engage in contact tracing at all to combat the pandemic? If so, I'm not sure what to tell you. Otherwise, apps may go a long way to improve the speed and accuracy of contact tracing. Here in the…

> Would you suggest that we not have public health departments engage in contact tracing at all to combat the pandemic? If so, I'm not sure what to tell you. If the result is (another) permanent loss of privacy and freedom akin to the PATRIOT act, then yes. Technology has immense power to do good for people, but only if those who deploy it do so ethically. How many governments around the world can we honestly predict…

I'm curious how many people who now say "give me privacy or give me death!" will change their tune in a hurry once they are themselves, perhaps for the first time in their lives, in real danger of dying.

I regret that - assuming my own ongoing case of COVID-19 resolves without fatal complication - I'm quite likely, I think, to have that curiosity satisfied. I regret it because this isn't a cause for change of perspective which I would wish on anyone. But everything I'm seeing suggests it's a cause for change of perspective that many millions of people are going to have.

Re: Singapore to Open Source Bluetooth Contact Tracing

#39

Post by closeparen »

flowless wrote: post #20
sjf wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, visit tracking has been around for years. Here is one product ( https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6100636?hl=en ), I assume there are many more. I guess it's not more well-known because it's not in the stores interests to publicize it.

Any idea how it works? The site is not very helpful in that manner.

Probably the same way that Google Maps traffic or “this restaurant is busy now” indications work.

Re: Singapore to Open Source Bluetooth Contact Tracing

#40

Post by hw »

mshroyer wrote: post #22
tomcooks wrote: post #12

Can't wait to be tracked by tech developed by a governmental team in the name of safety. Opensource or not a leash is a leash.

This is needlessly cynical. TraceTogether uses client-side logging so as to leave data in the hands of the users up until it's actually needed for contact tracing. Would you suggest that we not have public health departments engage in contact tracing at all to combat the pandemic? If so, I'm not sure what to tell you. Otherwise, apps may go a long way to improve the speed and accuracy of contact tracing. Here in the…

Would you then advocate for mandatory contact tracing in perpetuity, for purposes of preventing / solving crimes?
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