Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick says laws are needed to protect the data taken on the COVID-19 tracing app
The COVID-19 tracing app would get a much higher uptake if people knew there were laws to protect the privacy of their data, argues SA Senator Rex Patrick.
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Laws should be introduced to protect the privacy of users on a controversial COVID-19 contact-tracing app, South Australian Senator Rex Patrick says.
Federal politicians have joined legal experts raising concerns about the voluntary mobile app – which uses bluetooth technology to log users who come within 1.5m of each other for at least 15 minutes.
Government Services Minister Stuart Robert moved to allay suggestions of surveillance and tracking, saying the app would be used only by health authorities.
But Senator Patrick, of the Centre Alliance, called for a legislated sunset clause beyond which it would be unlawful for anyone to use the app’s data.
“If people knew it was an offence to use the data it collected other than for COVID-19 purposes and that their privacy was protected by law, they may be more inclined to embrace it,” he said.
“The app would serve a useful health purpose and would almost certainly saves lives.”
The government-backed app swaps a user’s name, mobile number, age and postcode with other users in proximity. If one user tests positive to coronavirus, logged data is sent to a secure national store, and then to state health authorities to contact those people.
“It’s not about tracking there’s no geolocation,” Mr Robert said.
He has vowed to be “utterly transparent” and publish a report from the Privacy Commissioner due this week, to show it was “digitalising a current manual purpose”.
Premier Steven Marshall, who sits on the national data and digital committee, said the app, based on a Singapore model, would speed up tracing.
“The details stored on the app will not even be available to the user of the app,” he said. “It is fully encrypted and only available to people who will need to actually access it.”
SA Labor Senator Penny Wong called on the Government to provide strong assurances around privacy and data protection.
Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesman Greg Barns said there was no form of redress for people if the app was misused because there was no national legal right to privacy.
“The protections against abuse are weak, governments have a poor track record when it comes to misuse of surveillance tools,” he said.
The government hopes for a 40 per cent take-up rate.