Futurist’s take on the COVIDSafe app and getting back to business
Our governments say it’s our duty to download the COVIDSafe app but privacy advocates warn against it and millions are still holding out. But what does a futurist see in the tech?
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An Australian trend analyst predicts the COVIDSafe app may play a role in getting airlines back in the air and other industries back to business beyond what most people expect.
Futurist Gihan Perera tips airlines might require people to have downloaded the app before they are accepted as passengers.
Or, staff may be required by their employers to show they have the app before they are allowed to return to work in the office.
Perth-based by consulting nationally, Mr Perera says people ought not automatically download the app simply because the Federal Government has directed them to.
But, he argues, they shouldn’t not do it simply to make a political statement.
“As a futurist my role is to look at trends to see what might happen in the future and help people prepare for that, especially important in times such as now when the future is very uncertain,” he said.
“It is important for people to be able to make informed decisions.”
Mr Perera says he has weighed up the likely benefits of the app, in terms of allowing restrictions to the relaxed, against forgoing a level of personal privacy.
“This app is a tool to help manage coronavirus here, it is not the perfect solution to everything but it is something to help us by making it much faster to track down those people who might have been exposed to COVID-19,” he said.
“We isolated the country by implementing travel bans and the next big thing is testing.
“If we had the resources, we’d be testing everyone, every day but the next best thing is to test the people most likely to have been exposed to the virus and that is what this app allows us to do.
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“I believe there is a lot of upside with low risk to us personally, it will help us shop again, go to restaurants and eventually sporting events.
“These are the sort of things we need for the economy.”
Among the reasons he lists for personally feeling comfortable downloading the app are the fact the GPS function isn’t turned to allow a person’s location to be tracked and that encrypted information will be released to state health authorities only.
Mr Perera says he believes the app is an important part of the long-term recovery from the global pandemic.
“When airlines start up again, and restrictions around travel are lifted, it might be that airlines stipulate one of the security things before you board is to have this app to reduce the risk to other passengers and cabin crew,” he said.
“I do think things like that will change in the future … pretty much every industry is going to change.”