Coronavirus has now infected three million people around the world and recorded over 200,000 deaths. As a move towards flattening the curve, governments now invest in technology to track the infection on each community. In Australia, for example, the country has recently launched its own Coronavirus app called COVIDSafe. Just like a standard mobile app, this can be downloaded on Apple App Store or Google Play Store. But how can you be sure that its safe to use? Here are the things you should know about the app.
Australia's COVIDSafe app: Everything we know so far
According to Daily Mail UK, about 40 percent of Australians have now downloaded the government Coronavirus app, COVIDSafe. This mobile app is said to use Bluetooth technology to track every citizen that has or has not been confirmed with the viral disease.
COVIDSafe is needed to be downloaded by 10 million citizens, as per the Australian government. With its observed popular rate as of now, the target goal might happen successfully as early this week.
What is COVIDSafe?
As said, COVIDSafe is created solely for Australians. This app is based on the Singapore government's TraceTogether program, which also features Bluetooth technology in tracing the virus.
Daily Mail UK said that once all citizens of the country download the app, this will be a major tool to monitor the virus, especially once the government plans to lift the lockdown in all non-essential businesses.
'Manual contact tracing is far too slow and far too resource-intensive," said Terry O'Gorman, President at The Australian Council for Civil Liberties.
How does it work?
The wireless technology will be the main antenna of the app. Once a user downloads this app, he will be asked to register name (or pseudonym), age range, postcode, and his phone number. That information is said to be stored on an encrypted database that only health authorities have access to.
As a description, the app will create a "digital handshake" with another user of the app within 4.9 feet from the original user. The app will then log all the information of all the user's contact.
Once a person is diagnosed with Coronavirus, users that had contact with him during the past 14 days will receive a message through the app.
Is it safe?
Since its released, everyone wants to know whether the app is safe to be downloaded and used by millions of people. One common theory on these apps is its security on personal data.
Australia has clarified that COVIDSafe is safe to be used by anyone. Though this app will hold millions of personal info on each citizen in the country, the government states that "not even a court order" will allow non-authorized personnel to find info on the app.
COVIDSafe also has a pop-in message indicating that users' will have privacy on their personal data once the app successfully downloaded.
"Other agencies, including law enforcement, will not be able to access the information unless investigating misuse of the information itself," said on the agreement.
For now, it is safe to say that the app is safe to use.
