New COVID 19 tracing app ‘engages in digital handshakes’
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The Australian’s Political Reporter Richard Ferguson has discussed the government's newly proposed COVID-19 contract tracing app, along with its possible privacy implications and how it will be implemented in the nation.
The app, which is modelled off a similar program in Singapore, would record where a user was, who they were close to and for how long.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said the application would help authorities to quickly alert users who have been in contact with people who contracted COVID-19, but said it would not be mandatory to adopt.
Mr Ferguson told Sky News host Peta Credlin "you will be engaged in kind of digital handshakes, via your blue-tooth, with everyone around you," once you download the app.
"No matter where you go, it will pick up everyone around you," he said.
"It won't say where you are, or who you are until it's encoded in your kind of personal code".
"And then if you get coronavirus that code will be uploaded to a database along with all the other codes that you've come into contact with".
Image: Getty
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