Aussies embrace Government’s coronavirus tracing app
The Federal Government’s COVIDsafe app has had a surprising number of downloads after it’s release last night.
Southeast
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BOTH sides of politics are encouraging southside residents to install the COVIDsafe app following an impressive take-up rate today.
More than 1.3 million Australians had downloaded the Federal Government’s COVIDSafe app by this morning following the app’s release last night.
The app helps stop further spread of coronavirus through early notification of possible exposure by using Bluetooth on phones to log the date, time and proximity of other users you contact. Your location however is not recorded.
The Government has said it needs 40 per cent of Australians, 10 million people, for the app to be effective.
Both Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta and Member for Griffith Terri Butler have downloaded the app.
Mr Vasta said the use of the app would help to move more quickly to reduce restrictions than would otherwise be possible.
“Without the assistance of technology, finding people who may have been exposed to the virus relies on people being able to recall who they have been around and knowing the details of every individual they have been in close contact with,” Mr Vasta said.
“In many cases, we don’t know the names and contact details of those we’ve been in close contact with – for example, at the supermarket or on the train.”
Ms Butler said she was aware of concerns about privacy but the benefits outweighed issues with the app.
“It is up to the Government to make clear what they will do to protect the information gathered via the app and protect users’ privacy,” she said.
“Despite those concerns my view is that if using the app has the potential to prevent new infections then I am happy to use it.”
Collection and use of information from the app is consent based.
To strengthen the app’s privacy arrangements Minister for Health Greg Hunt made a Determination under the Biosecurity Act to protect people’s privacy and restrict access to app data to State and Territory health authorities for contact tracing.
Under that Determination, it will be a criminal offence to use any app data in any other way. It will also be a criminal offence for someone to be refused to enter a premises, participate in an event or receive a service for failing to use the app.
At the end of the pandemic, users will be prompted to delete the app from their phone.
“This will delete all app information on a person’s phone. The information contained on the highly secure information storage system will also be destroyed at the end of the pandemic,” Mr Vasta said.
“The privacy of Australians is a top priority for us as we have developed the COVIDsafe app. Therefore we have a full Privacy Impact Assessment to reassure everyone we are protecting the values central to our way of life, this includes your privacy.”
For more information on the COVIDSafe app, visit : https://www.covidsafe.gov.au/helptopics.html
Visit Apple or Google Play to download the COVIDSafe app for iPhone and for android.
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