Australia’s new coronavirus tracker has joined a growing list of apps set up to halt the spread of the new coronavirus and hasten a return to normal life. But like other contract-tracing apps, including one due to be launched in France next month, it has prompted privacy concerns.
The Australian government’s COVIDSafe app logs Bluetooth connections between phones in close proximity for more than 15 minutes, enabling authorities to trace potential infections when a person has come into contact with a positive diagnosis.
“We need the COVIDSafe app as part of the plan to save lives and save livelihoods,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement. “The more people who download this important public health app, the safer they and their family will be, the safer their community will be and the sooner we can safely lift restrictions and get back to business and do the things we love.”
The government has issued assurances that new laws will limit the use of information gathered and prevent its use by non-health officials.
"It will be illegal for information to go out of that data store to any other person other than that for whom the whole thing is designed, and that is to support the health worker in the state to be able to undertake the contact tracing," Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra.
He said data would be stored on a server manned by AWS, which is a unit of Amazon, adding that "it's a nationally encrypted data store."
If an app user tests positive, they can consent for their phone log to be uploaded to the government server and accessed by health officials, who will then contact people at risk so they can get tested.
The app is voluntary to download and will only work if just under half the population has it on their phones. But responses have been mixed from a public wary of relinquishing private data.
A survey of about 1,000 people conducted last week by the Australian Institute showed 45 per cent of respondents were willing to use the app while 28 per cent said they wouldn’t.
Rights advocates have raised concerns over the extent of government surveillance afforded by COVIDSafe and gaps in its safeguards to protect private information.
A statement released on Sunday by the Human Rights Law Centre, Digital Rights Watch and the Australia Institute said, “the tracing app will only be effective if enough Australians feel confident downloading and using it.
“Critical will be legally enforceable safeguards on the collection, storage, sharing and disposal of any personal information that is generated from the app, and a clear end date for when the tracing will stop and the data will be deleted.”
Australia has maintained a relatively low caseload, with 6,711 reported infections and 83 deaths from the disease, thanks largely to strict social distancing measures. These will only be relaxed when widespread testing and contact tracing through the app gives authorities the confidence to reopen Australia’s economy.
Several Gulf countries are also developing digital platforms to monitor the spread of the virus, including Bahrain, where a contact tracing app called Be Aware alerts users who have come into contact with someone that tested positive for the virus.
Those required to self-isolate wear electronic bracelets, which notify a government monitoring station when they are 15 metres away from their phone.
In Saudi Arabia, Health Ministry spokesman Mohammad Al Abdulaali said an app used by 600,000 people to help identify suspected cases has indicated that there could be another 15,000 coronavirus cases in the kingdom. Currently the caseload is 16,299.
In Israel, 203 people, including some identified through mobile phone location data, have been arrested for violating quarantine. The use of this data was approved by the Israeli government for a limited period but earlier this week a parliamentary oversight group blocked an attempt to extend the emergency measures.
The battle lines in Europe have been drawn as governments in the UK, France and Germany wrestle with Apple and Google over the level of privacy afforded to app users. The tech giants have teamed up to build technology that enables digital contact tracing apps but with strict limits on the type of data that can be shared with public health authorities.
France has since asked Apple to lift the privacy restrictions.
Last week, a letter signed by a group of 300 academics from 26 countries worldwide cautioned against using contact-tracing at the expense of privacy protection. “Such apps can otherwise be repurposed to enable unwarranted discrimination and surveillance,” the letter said.
“It is vital that, in coming out of the current crisis, we do not create a tool that enables large-scale data collection on the population, either now or at a later time.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The%20specs
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Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Results
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STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Racecard
6.35pm: The Madjani Stakes – Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.10pm: Evidenza – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: The Longines Conquest – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,000m
8.20: The Longines Elegant – Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
8.35pm: The Dubai Creek Mile – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Mirdif Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,400m
10.05pm: The Longines Record – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”