i take it you haven’t read the article or been following this discussion. It’s specifically designed not to violate your privacy. You have to install an app before it can be enabled or do anything at all. Then, if you are infected, you have to tell the app that, allowing you to opt-in to allowing notification. And if you are not infected it will simply notify you that you were within contact distance of a self-reported infected person for an extended period. Nobody else but you will know this. Where is there a privacy issue?
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Al, Doug, and Mark:
Yes I’d read earlier items on this topic including the promise of it NOT invading privacy, and being OPT-IN; now Apple has apparently installed it in the iOS itself which to me seems to negate the opt-in promise. If I install the iOS update then I’ll be installing the tracker which appears to be an automatic “opt-in”. As I understand it, the “local” apps will just be a way to set WHERE the notifications are sent, so will there be an iOS setting that will have to be selected to “opt-in” (activate) the tracker so the local apps can use it to be notified?
I have installed IOS 10.13.5 on my iPhone. In Setting->Privacy->Health, the top entry reads “COVID-19 Exposure Logging” with the text explaining general how it works via the exchange of random IDs and concluding with the statement “Exposure Logging cannot access any data in, or add any data to the Health app.”
If you tap the arrow for the entry, you get a screen with several items:
The first is a toggle labeled ‘Exposure Logging’ with a longer explanation of the process under it. It is greyed out if there is no authorized app installed that can use the logging. At present, I believe no such apps are in the App Store.
The Next item is titled ‘Active App’ and would list the app if installed.
The next item is labeled ‘Exposure Checks’ . Tapping the arrow forces user verification (Face ID on my iPhone) and appears to attempt to check the last 14 days of exposure log data (mine is obviously empty at this time).
The final item is labelled ‘Delete Exposure Log’ and is greyed out for me since no log yet exists.
So, upgrading your iPhone to 10.13.5 does not actually cause any data related to Covid-19 tracking to be stored. It only enables a future opt-in on your part to a restricted app.
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No, it only installed the API which is disabled and cannot be enabled until an app is available and downloaded. We can only guess about those apps until one becomes approved by Apple and loaded into the App Store, but according to everything we’ve read, there won’t be any “tracking” involved and no notifications or other information will leave your phone. Exposures will simply be logged and possible the user will get a notification at the time. An infected user must also opt-in to registering with the app as such.
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To clarify, Apple has just added the programmer interface calls to the OS so that developers can create apps that make use of the secure tracing. Nothing can come or go from your device until you install some newly created app (possibly specific to your area). I don’t think any such apps exist yet.
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Apple is actually the industry leader in supporting older hardware with software upgrades. But in order to stay competitive and sell new devices, Apple needs to upgrade its software with new features, and new features often require new equipment to run.
Compare this to the uncountable flavors of Android out there. Every time Google updates Android, Samsung, LG, Lenovo, etc., who each have so many different models, older models quickly loose support. That’s why you read stuff like this in the Android focused press:
The iPhone SE’s major win over cheap Android phones isn’t hardware — it’s software updates
Ah, OK, Al & Dana. Thanks for clearing it up for me. So what Apple installed will actually prevent these apps from tracking a person then? And it will be up to each state to create an app to use?
I’ve been watching this closely and there have been no reports of any apps being available from the App Store at this time. Only Apple knows if any have been submitted to them.
But again, those apps are not supposed to be for “secure tracing” only encounter logging. As soon as those apps become available, they will be widely tested to see if Apple allowed any information other than that the user has opted-in to reporting their infection to others they encounter.
Repeating for the umpteenth time here, this is not supposed to be a contact tracing capability.
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It was reported that 22 countries and some number of states received beta software necessary to develop an implementing app. I would expect a variety of these apps to be made available at country, state and local/county levels, tailored to their needs. The apps are expected to first ask a number of health related questions before allowing the user to opt-into either reporting their infection or logging encounters. It is not expected that those apps ever be allowed to upload that information to health related servers, at least not without user permission.
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For many reasons, Steve Gibson today stated he expects the tracing API and apps to fail. Show notes:
(See last page or so. Also see actual podcast)
Yes, if they use the API, they cannot get any other data. Supposedly would be confirmed via code review before allowing in the App Store.
The first app was released in Switzerland yesterday, I believe a pilot test with a small group to start.
https://9to5mac.com/2020/05/26/switzerland-first-to-release-covid-19-app/