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Australian police using QR code contact tracing app checkin data

33 points by andrewstuart 5y ago

andrewstuart 5y ago
In short - don't use the government's QR code contact tracing apps - the privacy bargain is broken.
- shirro 5y ago
  This is ignorant. We have a social contact with our government who we elect to provide for our common security. In my state (SA) this is public health data only that is protected from the police by legislation. There is lots of weird data interception legislation our federal government has introduced to satisfy big corporate interests and our allies which I strongly distrust. But this is not that. We have maintained a covid free existence where I live since this outbreak. Single figure deaths in my state for this entire pandemic. Only 10 days of lockdown so we could get ahead of two potential quarantine breaches. The bargain we paid to keep everyone at work, kids in schools and people out of hospital was to check in with QR codes to enable swift and effective tracing. Totally worth it and most of the population here agrees except for a few manipulated by foreign stupidity. We like our kids being in school, having jobs and being healthy. Only just getting my second vax in a couple of weeks due to poor supply here and a lot of people are in the same situation. We will need good testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine for awhile yet to protect our hospital system and their staff but things are going to get better. Not at all upset to be living in a competent liberal democracy. There don't seem to be many left.
  - jim-jim-jim 5y ago
    > In my state (SA) this is public health data only that is protected from the police by legislation. Good for your state. This article proves that this is not the case Australia-wide. I have never used the QLD app and never will.
    - arathis 5y ago
      Qlder here. I and my bubble all use the app. The alternative was writing personal details on a sheet of paper that was open to the public. In some cases, it was used for remarketing. Not sure if I read the article correctly, but my understanding was the opposition and current state governments condemned the use of the data for police use, as they should. It’s utterly short sighted to do otherwise.
  - raxxorrax 5y ago
    You also can send your kids to school without any of this and without compromising privacy.
    - shirro 5y ago
      My kids have their school attendance recorded in a government database every day. Some people aren't thinking very rationally. Using social media and the Internet in general give up far more information and for very little in return. The direction the Internet and the businesses on it have taken is a massive disappointment after the naive utopian view I had of the potential in the early days. Apart from the terrible misuse and collection of private data it is a troubling source of misinformation and negativity. I am not keen on governments fighting a war on encryption so they can spy on entire populations at will instead of policing at the edges. But to be clear that is something I feel is forced on our government by foreign powers (US & UK) which I thoroughly reject. But recording where I had lunch in the midst of a pandemic to help keep local businesses running and my local hospital staff coping is fine by me. I live in this community and not some foreign land. Nobody is going to persecute me for where I shop or eat lunch. My kids are in school and my community is healthy and people are able to earn a living. That is what matters to me.
domlebo70 5y ago
Can't you just check in everywhere and nullify the data? Anyone got a script?
- pugio 5y ago
  I actually just reverse engineered the Victoria app yesterday. I don't really have any reason to do this, but if anyone does want to submit a whole bunch of check-in requests, it's pretty easy. A single CURL call will do it.
- pp183 5y ago
  This is probably not a good thing to do given that they use the data to report on close and casual contacts of COVID. If you check in everywhere there is a good chance that you will get a call requiring you to self-isolate for 2 weeks.
jakecopp 5y ago
Interesting that NSW (the most populous state in Australia) isn't mentioned in this. This is the privacy policy for the NSW ServiceNSW app: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/covid-safe-check-privacy-collection-statement https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/covid-safe-check-privacy-coll...
- skeoh 5y ago
  FTA: > NSW, South Australia and the Northern Territory have ruled out the use of the check-in app data by police. I'm curious about Victoria though.
  - russelg 5y ago
    WA has as well, after a bit of media attention about police misusing it.
  - jakecopp 5y ago
    NSW didn't come up when I `Cmd+F`ed before, cheers!

33 points by andrewstuart 5y ago

andrewstuart 5y ago

In short - don't use the government's QR code contact tracing apps - the privacy bargain is broken.

shirro 5y ago
This is ignorant. We have a social contact with our government who we elect to provide for our common security. In my state (SA) this is public health data only that is protected from the police by legislation. There is lots of weird data interception legislation our federal government has introduced to satisfy big corporate interests and our allies which I strongly distrust. But this is not that. We have maintained a covid free existence where I live since this outbreak. Single figure deaths in my state for this entire pandemic. Only 10 days of lockdown so we could get ahead of two potential quarantine breaches. The bargain we paid to keep everyone at work, kids in schools and people out of hospital was to check in with QR codes to enable swift and effective tracing. Totally worth it and most of the population here agrees except for a few manipulated by foreign stupidity. We like our kids being in school, having jobs and being healthy. Only just getting my second vax in a couple of weeks due to poor supply here and a lot of people are in the same situation. We will need good testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine for awhile yet to protect our hospital system and their staff but things are going to get better. Not at all upset to be living in a competent liberal democracy. There don't seem to be many left.
- jim-jim-jim 5y ago
  > In my state (SA) this is public health data only that is protected from the police by legislation. Good for your state. This article proves that this is not the case Australia-wide. I have never used the QLD app and never will.
  - arathis 5y ago
    Qlder here. I and my bubble all use the app. The alternative was writing personal details on a sheet of paper that was open to the public. In some cases, it was used for remarketing. Not sure if I read the article correctly, but my understanding was the opposition and current state governments condemned the use of the data for police use, as they should. It’s utterly short sighted to do otherwise.
- raxxorrax 5y ago
  You also can send your kids to school without any of this and without compromising privacy.
  - shirro 5y ago
    My kids have their school attendance recorded in a government database every day. Some people aren't thinking very rationally. Using social media and the Internet in general give up far more information and for very little in return. The direction the Internet and the businesses on it have taken is a massive disappointment after the naive utopian view I had of the potential in the early days. Apart from the terrible misuse and collection of private data it is a troubling source of misinformation and negativity. I am not keen on governments fighting a war on encryption so they can spy on entire populations at will instead of policing at the edges. But to be clear that is something I feel is forced on our government by foreign powers (US & UK) which I thoroughly reject. But recording where I had lunch in the midst of a pandemic to help keep local businesses running and my local hospital staff coping is fine by me. I live in this community and not some foreign land. Nobody is going to persecute me for where I shop or eat lunch. My kids are in school and my community is healthy and people are able to earn a living. That is what matters to me.

domlebo70 5y ago

Can't you just check in everywhere and nullify the data? Anyone got a script?

pugio 5y ago
I actually just reverse engineered the Victoria app yesterday. I don't really have any reason to do this, but if anyone does want to submit a whole bunch of check-in requests, it's pretty easy. A single CURL call will do it.
pp183 5y ago
This is probably not a good thing to do given that they use the data to report on close and casual contacts of COVID. If you check in everywhere there is a good chance that you will get a call requiring you to self-isolate for 2 weeks.

jakecopp 5y ago

Interesting that NSW (the most populous state in Australia) isn't mentioned in this. This is the privacy policy for the NSW ServiceNSW app: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/covid-safe-check-privacy-collection-statement https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/covid-safe-check-privacy-coll...

skeoh 5y ago
FTA: > NSW, South Australia and the Northern Territory have ruled out the use of the check-in app data by police. I'm curious about Victoria though.
- russelg 5y ago
  WA has as well, after a bit of media attention about police misusing it.
- jakecopp 5y ago
  NSW didn't come up when I `Cmd+F`ed before, cheers!