Canberra's controversial COVID app goes live

Amid ongoing privacy and security concerns, the federal government’s COVIDSafe tracing app has gone live, with more than one million instances already downloaded by Monday morning.

Despite assurances from the government that the app is not a tracking system, concerns remain amongst industry and academic circles that the data collected could be misused or subject to leaks or breaches.

In an attempt to alleviate those concerns, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, speaking on ABC Radio’s AM program this morning, said the government will soon release the app’s source code for independent analysis.

“The source code will be released within two weeks. The reason for that is that there’s constant review of the safety and security,” he said.

“Our first task is to make sure the security assessment is done and that there is absolute protection of privacy above all else, but at the same time, working on the same basis as other countries such as Singapore.”

The Law Council of Australia has said that it “welcomes reports that the government intends to introduce legislation to establish important privacy protections and other essential requirements for the app”, but it recommends “that the government release an Exposure Draft Bill before legislation is introduced to Parliament, to provide the public an opportunity to comment”.

“If the government released an Exposure Draft Bill, then a Privacy Impact Assessment and the source code could be released as part of the materials accompanying an Exposure Draft Bill,” said Law Council of Australia President Pauline Wright.

“This would maximise the public’s confidence and assurance in the new app. It is in our collective national interest that the tracing app works effectively.”

A 76-page privacy impact assessment dated 24 April, prepared by law firm Maddocks for the Department of Health, noted several aspects that still need attention, including:

• the need for further assurance that personal information collected through the app will only be used for contact tracing;
• minimisation of risks associated with loss of control over the personal information collected through the app once the information is disclosed to State and Territory Public Health Officials and Contact Tracers;
• the need to ensure maximum application of the ‘data minimisation principle,’ so that the minimum amount of personal information required is collected;
• the need to ensure that appropriate consent is obtained from parents/guardians for users who are children under the age of 16;
• the need for further assurance around potential security risks;
• further clarity about retention of personal information collected through the app after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• the desirability of further clarity about data governance arrangements, including in ICT and other contracts or other arrangements, between entities involved in the implementation and operation of the app.
   

The President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Tony Bartone, said at a press conference on Sunday: “As a doctor I will be downloading the COVIDSafe app tonight. I will be recommending it to my patients, to my friends and families, and to my colleagues.

“Privacy, technical and other practical issues need to be assured in the rollout, and of course any challenges need to be anticipated and prevented. But the app is voluntary. The app can only be used for the purposes that it was designed — for the COVID-19 contact tracing, to assist our contact tracers in doing their diligent work.”

And in a joint statement released on Sunday, Minister Hunt, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy and Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan said: “We hope Australians will choose to support this app so that we can continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and give people more freedom to get on with their day-to-day lives.”

Image courtesy Department of Health.