Taiwan launches social distancing app

Actually with all the positive cases reported in the news…there surely has to be just one, just ONE person who uses it?

I really don’t know - at least the English news sites have been completely quiet about the app the last days. Maybe some non-English news site has any more news about that?

I would expect some praise article like “Covid App works and successfully notifies first case about contact history!” or something. So far, I haven’t seen that…

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Be careful what you ask for… :wink:

Maybe translations just make keep the app updated much harder when authorities are trying to move heaven and earth simultaneously.

You’re supposed to manually send it out?

Yes, if you test positive, you have to open the app and choose the “Upload Anonymous ID” option.

The app is built around data privacy - so everything is anonymous and the government doesn’t have access to the data. That’s why only the user can do this step!

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I don’t get daily alerts on Android either. Although I have panicked a couple of times since installing the app when FamilyMart or the EasyCard registration system sent me confirmation SMSs in Chinese. :sweat_smile:

But I didn’t test positive. So I should do nothing. Right?

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Correct. Only thing you need to do after installing the app is pressing the big button which says something like “enable”.

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If you want to get the daily “all clear” alerts, you may need to enable notifications somewhere deep in the settings. Or perhaps that just doesn’t happen on Android.

Finally some data:

Meanwhile, the CECC also revealed on Friday that a contact tracing phone app launched in April by the government has failed to live up to early expectations.

As of last week, the app had been downloaded over 8 million times, but only 29 users had voluntarily uploaded their tracking data after testing positive, according to Chen Tsung-yen, who also serves as deputy CECC chief.

That figure would account for less than 1 percent of the more- than 5,000 COVID-19 cases Taiwan has reported since May 15.

Not very promising - the app could even create a false sense of security when people receive the “all clear” notification when it fact the notification only means one didn’t have contact to those 29 users who chose to upload their positive test result!

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Android user here, and I get the daily alert.
I’ll try to screenshot when I get it later today.

Hmmm. I definitely don’t receive anything. Maybe the app has just realized that I’m boring and staying almost entirely at home.

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Indeed. But in the defense of the people who have been diagnosed positive, updating info on some random app has got to be pretty much the last thing on their mind. If they even know - I didn’t realize that had to be done until someone posted about a day or two ago.

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agreed. Maybe we should have a system that if you’re being treated with public funds during a pandemic, then anonymized tracking data must be uploaded.

otherwise, seriously, what’s the point?

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During a press conference on Sunday (April 10), CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said that as COVID cases have increased significantly, the center has gradually simplified its epidemiological investigations through the use of technology and that replacing the real-name registration system with the Taiwan Social Distancing App is an “important direction.” Chen said that use of the app will be vigorously promoted and in the future, it will be required to enter “certain venues.”

The CECC head said that the plan is that government agencies will first be required to use the app and business groups are “welcome to join.” Chen said that the goal will be that at least half of Taiwan’s population adopt the app.
[…]
He stated that in the future, people employed in designated fields who enter certain venues must download the app. Chen listed civil servants as an example of a group that will be required to download the app.

Chen cited a recent outbreak at Taiwanese mandopop star A-Mei’s (張惠妹) concert as an example of the limitations of the current method of contact tracing and the advantage of using the app. Chen said that if concert-goers download the app, only those who came in close and long-term contact with confirmed cases would be notified, rather than having to send texts to 7,300 attendees, as was the case over the weekend.

Problem is, nobody uses it

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The other huge problem is that you might have to update your O/S in order to use it. I won’t, therefore I can’t use it.

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Maybe the government will provide free latest-technology smartphones to all. Sheet, governments are giving money away in West. Taiwan, step up.

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Ugh, I do. Should I delete it? I don’t want to get caught in the dragnet.

I made a rare stop at a lunch box buffet today (the place is always busy, the food is consistently bad), and noticed that of about 12 people I saw go in just before and after me, none scanned the QR code. I don’t see how asking them to do more is going to be possible