“COMBAT COVID APP” Appears To Be Dated Technology
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — The highly publicized COVID-19 tracking app promoted by Palm Beach County officials seems to be using outdated technology and requires a phone number while claiming to be completely anonymous.
But the most concerning — and ineffective — function of the “Combat COVID” app, an app that is supposed to alert you when you are near or come into contact with people infected with COVID-19, is that it must run in the “foreground” of your iPhone. (The app is also available for Android phones. It was not immediately clear if Android use also requires constant manual attention).
…the most ineffective function of the “Combat COVID” app, an app that is supposed to alert you when you are near or come into contact with people infected with COVID-19, is that it must run in the “foreground” of your iPhone.
In the most simplest of explanations: your email, your WeatherBug app, your stock apps and your sports scores all function in the background. You don’t think about them. You don’t have to do anything. When an email arrives, when lightning is in the area, when your favorite stock hits a certain price point, you receive an alert on your phone. Those apps are working in the background.
But the COMBAT COVID app specifically says “be sure to keep the app open and let it run in the foreground as much as possible. This is required to transmit the signals.”
It’s unclear why a brand new app created in 2020, with life and death importance, would need to be in the “foreground.” It’s also unclear why Palm Beach County chose dated technology instead of working with Apple and Google — two companies working together for a state of the art COVID-19 tracking and notification system.
And while Palm Beach County officials — constantly — discuss that several portions of the county have little trust for government, an app asking for a phone number is a non-starter. The app guarantees anonymity on multiple screens, but if you’re providing a phone number, you’re providing personal data.
The purpose of the Palm Beach County app is to alert users to their proximity of others — also using the app — who have told the app that they have tested positive for COVID-19. It’s unclear how many people will trust an app, provided by Palm Beach County, with that type of medical information.
Do they know that a bit more than half of the residents in the county use other operating systems on their phones?
—
Ed note: the app is also available for Android. It is unclear if the Android app also requires consistent manual attention.
I have downloaded the APP and installed it today. I remember on my Android that it said operate in the ‘background’. Of course, what’s the difference? Your app is either running on the phone or not. With Android Apps by definition nothing works if the APP is off, regardless of if you call that ‘foreground’ or ‘background’. With regard conspiracy and anonymity – suck it up. If we wish to survive this virus, we have to be open and make sure if we get infected WE TELL PEOPLE we’ve been in contact with, and then QUARANTINE. Purportedly this app simply notifies anyone if they are in proximity to someone who has identified that they have the virus. This is how we reduce the contagion factor R. I think this is a great tool to let me know that I’ve been exposed to someone and then I’m informed enough to take responsible action (i.e. quarantine myself and test as soon as feasible). Of course, we live in a world with brilliant people like the Ocala sheriff who won’t allow his staff to wear protection except is special circumstances. Hence why our contagion in our nation stays so high.
Wake up people – Covid is real. It kills. Tools like this App help people stop spreading the disease.