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The worrying part is that it was installed without consent.

kuschku 5y ago
There’s nothing worrying about that. You get tons of apps installed without consent (including whatever spam your network provider pushes on you). This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. The largest trouble for the German version of the app was that not enough people installed it. Choosing to install it automatically isn’t something nefarious under these circumstances.
- sildur 5y ago
  > There’s nothing worrying about that. You get tons of apps installed without consent (including whatever spam your network provider pushes on you). That is different. They are pre-installed and I can list them and disable them. They do not install suddenly by themselves months after buying the device. If they did so, there would be an outrage. > This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. Yeah, "for our own good". Next time it would be an app that sends an alarm when an excon is near you. And next time it would be an app that sends an alarm when someone who shows dangerous opinions (ie. against government) is near you. No thanks, please unsubscribe me of this Chinese dystopia.
  - kuschku 5y ago
    > They do not install suddenly by themselves months after buying the device. If they did so, there would be an outrage. They absolute can do that, and do that. For example, if you switch SIM cards, the phone can (and in some situations will) install whatever crap the ISP chooses. In my case, inserting a SIM card from ALDI’s carrier used to auto-install some weather, news, and similar stuff. Luckily that stopped recently. This can happen at any time, actually. > Yeah, "for our own good". Sometimes it is actually for your own good. I agree that it can be a slippery slope, but using the available means to save lives is sometimes necessary. The only risk is governments not returning the power they got during this pandemic, but that’s more of a worry in 3rd-world-dictatorships.
    - sildur 5y ago
      > In my case, inserting a SIM card from ALDI’s carrier used to auto-install some weather, news, and similar stuff. Luckily that stopped recently. Surely there is a prompt. I never had apps silently auto-install in my phone. If that is true, one more reason to go with the custom rom way. > The only risk is governments not returning the power they got during this pandemic, but that’s more of a worry in 3rd-world-dictatorships. In my life I've seen a lot of just-for-emergency-temporary-only laws that become permanent once the outrage subsides. In supposedly first world countries
      - kuschku 5y ago
        > Surely there is a prompt. I never had apps silently auto-install in my phone. If that is true, one more reason to go with the custom rom way. Nope, Google Play Services does this all in the background. The same happens if Google thinks you’ve reinstalled your device (e.g. by wiping the Play Services data) and it starts installing some of Google’s default apps again, without prompts
    - bool3max 5y ago
      > but that’s more of a worry in 3rd-world-dictatorships To be this delusional, it must feel great.
- mssundaram 5y ago
  Under any circumstances it is nefarious. Please allow me into your home and let me put up a painting of my choosing.
- axismundi 5y ago
  > You get tons of apps installed without consent (including whatever spam your network provider pushes on you). So you are putting this app in the same category as spam, at least that's good. > This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. I have an app that can save your life, trust me. And give me your email so I can send it to you ;)
  - kuschku 5y ago
    > I have an app that can save your life, trust me. And give me your email so I can send it to you ;) Great, send me the source code, I’ll get it released on f-droid and then I’ll install the f-droid version of it, just like I’ve got the f-droid and microG version of the Corona Warn App installed :)
    - riekus 5y ago
      So where is the source code for this tracking app?
      - kuschku 5y ago
        The upstream from which this app is forked is at https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android, the fork itself is not publicly available, as far as I can tell.
- sokoloff 5y ago
  > This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. This app might have absolutely no privacy leaks; honestly, it’s too early to know that yet. The code is not published; there’s been no public auditing of the backend data handling practices. Given that, I see drawbacks. I did not opt-in to the MA one when prompted on iOS (and it did not install [as far as I can tell]).
- riekus 5y ago
  It is a slippery slope, the boundaries keep getting pushed, I think no one really cares about the app but just the fact that for some people it apparently is hidden installed.
jackjeff 5y ago
Exactly. Is that even legal?

There’s nothing worrying about that. You get tons of apps installed without consent (including whatever spam your network provider pushes on you). This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. The largest trouble for the German version of the app was that not enough people installed it. Choosing to install it automatically isn’t something nefarious under these circumstances.

sildur 5y ago
> There’s nothing worrying about that. You get tons of apps installed without consent (including whatever spam your network provider pushes on you). That is different. They are pre-installed and I can list them and disable them. They do not install suddenly by themselves months after buying the device. If they did so, there would be an outrage. > This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. Yeah, "for our own good". Next time it would be an app that sends an alarm when an excon is near you. And next time it would be an app that sends an alarm when someone who shows dangerous opinions (ie. against government) is near you. No thanks, please unsubscribe me of this Chinese dystopia.
- kuschku 5y ago
  > They do not install suddenly by themselves months after buying the device. If they did so, there would be an outrage. They absolute can do that, and do that. For example, if you switch SIM cards, the phone can (and in some situations will) install whatever crap the ISP chooses. In my case, inserting a SIM card from ALDI’s carrier used to auto-install some weather, news, and similar stuff. Luckily that stopped recently. This can happen at any time, actually. > Yeah, "for our own good". Sometimes it is actually for your own good. I agree that it can be a slippery slope, but using the available means to save lives is sometimes necessary. The only risk is governments not returning the power they got during this pandemic, but that’s more of a worry in 3rd-world-dictatorships.
  - sildur 5y ago
    > In my case, inserting a SIM card from ALDI’s carrier used to auto-install some weather, news, and similar stuff. Luckily that stopped recently. Surely there is a prompt. I never had apps silently auto-install in my phone. If that is true, one more reason to go with the custom rom way. > The only risk is governments not returning the power they got during this pandemic, but that’s more of a worry in 3rd-world-dictatorships. In my life I've seen a lot of just-for-emergency-temporary-only laws that become permanent once the outrage subsides. In supposedly first world countries
    - kuschku 5y ago
      > Surely there is a prompt. I never had apps silently auto-install in my phone. If that is true, one more reason to go with the custom rom way. Nope, Google Play Services does this all in the background. The same happens if Google thinks you’ve reinstalled your device (e.g. by wiping the Play Services data) and it starts installing some of Google’s default apps again, without prompts
  - bool3max 5y ago
    > but that’s more of a worry in 3rd-world-dictatorships To be this delusional, it must feel great.
mssundaram 5y ago
Under any circumstances it is nefarious. Please allow me into your home and let me put up a painting of my choosing.
axismundi 5y ago
> You get tons of apps installed without consent (including whatever spam your network provider pushes on you). So you are putting this app in the same category as spam, at least that's good. > This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. I have an app that can save your life, trust me. And give me your email so I can send it to you ;)
- kuschku 5y ago
  > I have an app that can save your life, trust me. And give me your email so I can send it to you ;) Great, send me the source code, I’ll get it released on f-droid and then I’ll install the f-droid version of it, just like I’ve got the f-droid and microG version of the Corona Warn App installed :)
  - riekus 5y ago
    So where is the source code for this tracking app?
    - kuschku 5y ago
      The upstream from which this app is forked is at https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android, the fork itself is not publicly available, as far as I can tell.
sokoloff 5y ago
> This app can actually save lives without sacrificing any privacy, pushing it to users is something that has no drawbacks. This app might have absolutely no privacy leaks; honestly, it’s too early to know that yet. The code is not published; there’s been no public auditing of the backend data handling practices. Given that, I see drawbacks. I did not opt-in to the MA one when prompted on iOS (and it did not install [as far as I can tell]).
riekus 5y ago
It is a slippery slope, the boundaries keep getting pushed, I think no one really cares about the app but just the fact that for some people it apparently is hidden installed.

jackjeff 5y ago

Exactly. Is that even legal?