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It looks like you won't have to petition for it. According to https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/files/NHS-app-security-paper%20V0.1.pdf https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/files/NHS-

by g_p 7y ago

It looks like you won't have to petition for it. According to https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/files/NHS-app-security-paper%20V0.1.pdf https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/files/NHS-app-security-paper%20V0.1...., "We intend to open source our codebase once the first release is finalised. The documentation accompanying that release will supersede this paper." and from https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/security-behind-nhs-contact-tracing-app https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/security-behind-nhs-contac..., "The Secretary of State has also committed to making the source code open source. That may not happen immediately on release because the fabulous NHSX development team are all working hard on getting the product ready. But it will happen." Sounds like there is an intention to deliver on the source. Bigger question is whether the server side is open sourced (as clearly that has limited value for verifying what is happening remotely).

OJFord 7y ago
> That may not happen immediately on release because the fabulous NHSX development team are all working hard on getting the product ready. But it will happen. That's just annoying nonsense though isn't it? There are reasonable (well 'ok they happen, whatever') causes for delay in open-sourcing something that didn't start out that way, but... Do any of them take more than seconds of developer time? They mean it 'may not happen immediately, because it's stuck in legal', surely?
- hogFeast 7y ago
  The UK has passed the point of parody. If you want to justify any action, just say something about how great the NHS is before you do it.
  - iso1210 6y ago
    It's the equivelent of saying "9/11" in the US.
maxden 7y ago
Australia has deployed their app but haven't released the source code yet, and may not release all of it, so until it actually happens who knows. Also while the app on the phone has been released, the actual data wont be sent on to contract tracers until more testing and privacy policies are finalised.[0] [0]https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-02/coronavirus-app-currently-not-fully-operational/12208924 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-02/coronavirus-app-curre...
tgsovlerkhgsel 6y ago
Sounds like there is no intention to deliver the source on release, and once the release has been out for a couple of weeks, the benefit of public review of the source code drastically diminishes. The source code should be released before the public release of the binaries, not after, and not doing so means they're trying to hide what the app does from timely public discourse. Releasing a tarball (even if it lacks the tools to build it) isn't that hard, is it?
- g_p 6y ago
  Just to update for anyone time travellers that arrive here in the future, the source came out on day of the binary "going live" to the public https://github.com/nhsx/COVID-19-app-Android-BETA https://github.com/nhsx/COVID-19-app-Android-BETA https://github.com/nhsx/COVID-19-app-iOS-BETA https://github.com/nhsx/COVID-19-app-iOS-BETA

by g_p 7y ago

OJFord 7y ago

> That may not happen immediately on release because the fabulous NHSX development team are all working hard on getting the product ready. But it will happen. That's just annoying nonsense though isn't it? There are reasonable (well 'ok they happen, whatever') causes for delay in open-sourcing something that didn't start out that way, but... Do any of them take more than seconds of developer time? They mean it 'may not happen immediately, because it's stuck in legal', surely?

hogFeast 7y ago
The UK has passed the point of parody. If you want to justify any action, just say something about how great the NHS is before you do it.
- iso1210 6y ago
  It's the equivelent of saying "9/11" in the US.

maxden 7y ago

Australia has deployed their app but haven't released the source code yet, and may not release all of it, so until it actually happens who knows. Also while the app on the phone has been released, the actual data wont be sent on to contract tracers until more testing and privacy policies are finalised.[0] [0]https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-02/coronavirus-app-currently-not-fully-operational/12208924 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-02/coronavirus-app-curre...

tgsovlerkhgsel 6y ago

Sounds like there is no intention to deliver the source on release, and once the release has been out for a couple of weeks, the benefit of public review of the source code drastically diminishes. The source code should be released before the public release of the binaries, not after, and not doing so means they're trying to hide what the app does from timely public discourse. Releasing a tarball (even if it lacks the tools to build it) isn't that hard, is it?

g_p 6y ago
Just to update for anyone time travellers that arrive here in the future, the source came out on day of the binary "going live" to the public https://github.com/nhsx/COVID-19-app-Android-BETA https://github.com/nhsx/COVID-19-app-Android-BETA https://github.com/nhsx/COVID-19-app-iOS-BETA https://github.com/nhsx/COVID-19-app-iOS-BETA