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For one: because this would be extra work within a short time frame. The source shows no extension points. Outside small tech circles nobody would have said any

For one: because this would be extra work within a short time frame. The source shows no extension points. Outside small tech circles nobody would have said anything if it were closed, if they have bad intention they could have made it closed. For second: we can easily see that the app doesn't use GPS or similar, which is a nice indication For third: Germans overall trust their government to not lie as much as other governments For forth: Researchers will reverse the app The only way this thing can work is, if the population trusts it, installs it and keeps their phone on. If the population doesn't trust it, it's doomed. It's in the self-interest of the project to be trustworthy and transparent. If you understand German you might enjoy this podcast with two of the developers: https://ukw.fm/ukw030-die-corona-warn-app/ https://ukw.fm/ukw030-die-corona-warn-app/

the_gipsy 6y ago
This is not answering the question beyond "it would require some effort to do so". It is not unusual to have a different binary published, than what's in a public repo. The following points you go on about are mostly irrelevant.
- johannes1234321 6y ago
  Well, then don't use the app from the app store and compile it yourself ...
  - chopin 6y ago
    Does that work, though? Afaik the app needs Google's or Apple's blessing to use the API.
    - johannes1234321 6y ago
      No idea, but as those are closed source one can have the same doubts, so you need an OpenSource alternative to the API, which is in the works in order to be used in that app: https://github.com/theScrabi/CoraLibre-android-sdk/ https://github.com/theScrabi/CoraLibre-android-sdk/ and https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android/issues/75 https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android/issues/75 That combined with an Android based on AOSP and trust issues should be reduced (while the bad government can still track you using cell towers and for that app one could still place Bluetooth beacons everywhere and the server's could still store more information (while the only keys transmitted are those of infected, which is quite little) ... so yeah, pick your level of conspiracy
  - the_gipsy 6y ago
    I don't care, I just find it odd how you didn't really answer but got off a tangent on how trustworthy of this app we should be.
raxxorrax 6y ago
> For third: Germans overall trust their government to not lie as much as other governments Trust is good, control is better. But in this case the fault is certainly with shitty app stores and mobile OS.
- johannes1234321 6y ago
  Right, the larger concern is somewhere else. It's in the operating system and if the government were to track everybody they could monitor cell towers. Way harder to detect.
  - raxxorrax 6y ago
    They would most certainly break basic law, but they could, yes. I don't trust my government because of numerous attempts to do so, honestly. I think the restrictions we see on mobile devices will at some point be the death of reasonable software for mobile. Yes, yes, I can run my own binaries if I jump over X hurdles but I have given up on mobile development years ago. It was zero fun in my opinion.
    - johannes1234321 6y ago
      Well, If you don't trust them and don't want to verify there is nothing they can do. For the ones with basic trust, they do a lot. Way more than most others. (Just look at the transparent dev process, the depth of documentation etc.)
      - raxxorrax 6y ago
        I have very little basic trust because of several reasons and have nothing to criticize on the development process, but I have no blanket trust for my government because it wasn't involved here besides as financier. The decisions for security measures didn't come from them. If they could get more info from people, they would try. The behavior shows a clear pattern over the last decade and luckily we have controlling institutions that are not as easily swayed. That said, I never said anything about not using the app. I will certainly try it, although I think we are at a pandemic stage when it doesn't matter that much anymore. Maybe for the next one.
majewsky 6y ago
> Germans overall trust their government to not lie as much as other governments German here. I don't trust my government to not lie (based on past evidence). However, I don't think the government is competent enough to execute this particular type or lie (or even creative enough to come up with it in the first place).

the_gipsy 6y ago

This is not answering the question beyond "it would require some effort to do so". It is not unusual to have a different binary published, than what's in a public repo. The following points you go on about are mostly irrelevant.

johannes1234321 6y ago
Well, then don't use the app from the app store and compile it yourself ...
- chopin 6y ago
  Does that work, though? Afaik the app needs Google's or Apple's blessing to use the API.
  - johannes1234321 6y ago
    No idea, but as those are closed source one can have the same doubts, so you need an OpenSource alternative to the API, which is in the works in order to be used in that app: https://github.com/theScrabi/CoraLibre-android-sdk/ https://github.com/theScrabi/CoraLibre-android-sdk/ and https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android/issues/75 https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android/issues/75 That combined with an Android based on AOSP and trust issues should be reduced (while the bad government can still track you using cell towers and for that app one could still place Bluetooth beacons everywhere and the server's could still store more information (while the only keys transmitted are those of infected, which is quite little) ... so yeah, pick your level of conspiracy
- the_gipsy 6y ago
  I don't care, I just find it odd how you didn't really answer but got off a tangent on how trustworthy of this app we should be.

raxxorrax 6y ago

> For third: Germans overall trust their government to not lie as much as other governments Trust is good, control is better. But in this case the fault is certainly with shitty app stores and mobile OS.

johannes1234321 6y ago
Right, the larger concern is somewhere else. It's in the operating system and if the government were to track everybody they could monitor cell towers. Way harder to detect.
- raxxorrax 6y ago
  They would most certainly break basic law, but they could, yes. I don't trust my government because of numerous attempts to do so, honestly. I think the restrictions we see on mobile devices will at some point be the death of reasonable software for mobile. Yes, yes, I can run my own binaries if I jump over X hurdles but I have given up on mobile development years ago. It was zero fun in my opinion.
  - johannes1234321 6y ago
    Well, If you don't trust them and don't want to verify there is nothing they can do. For the ones with basic trust, they do a lot. Way more than most others. (Just look at the transparent dev process, the depth of documentation etc.)
    - raxxorrax 6y ago
      I have very little basic trust because of several reasons and have nothing to criticize on the development process, but I have no blanket trust for my government because it wasn't involved here besides as financier. The decisions for security measures didn't come from them. If they could get more info from people, they would try. The behavior shows a clear pattern over the last decade and luckily we have controlling institutions that are not as easily swayed. That said, I never said anything about not using the app. I will certainly try it, although I think we are at a pandemic stage when it doesn't matter that much anymore. Maybe for the next one.

majewsky 6y ago

> Germans overall trust their government to not lie as much as other governments German here. I don't trust my government to not lie (based on past evidence). However, I don't think the government is competent enough to execute this particular type or lie (or even creative enough to come up with it in the first place).