A đŸ§” on my thoughts about the Canadian Covid-19 app
From a technical level, I’m optimistic that the apps have been developed to be as privacy protecting as possible. Any errors that do exist—I’m sure some will be found—won’t be malicious by design & I expect rapid testing & patching.
Adopting the model created by Google and Apple means the Canadian app is about as privacy protective as possible.

Almost all data is *stored locally* & individuals are empowered to act on, or delete, their data. We have to trust one another & that’s a good public health model
So privacy concerns linked purely to the technical design of the app are pretty well covered off.

But there are still some privacy and significant equity issues with the app. Lemme explain.
1) Neither the feds or Ontario have passed law barring government (e.g.: cops) or private orgs (e.g.: employers) from demanding access to your app + status. 😔
2) We know that BIPOC + elderly communities are more likely to be affected by Covid *and* are less able to purchase newer devices. So, those who may find the most utility in covid apps are least likely to have the option to use them 😩
3) These issues have been well known for a long time. Per @RyersonU report, we know that 74% of households earning under $20K have a smartphone, & about the same for persons 60 or older. When the gov't says 80-90% of smartphones can use the app, that’s missing a lot of people 😞
Implications? Risks of ‘covid-checks’ where cops use pretence of checking your app to subsequently search your smartphone. Risks of those most affected by Covid not have an option of using a digital tool to notify them of exposure.
What’s worse? If the government had a better comms strategy & inclusive policy approach, these issues might not exist. Canadians might know whether government models say we don’t need to deploy the app in all communities (though, if so those models should made public)
Maybe the government has criteria & a rollout program, and will be offering phones to individuals who can’t afford newer ones. Maybe they’re still sorting things out. Either way, clearer communication is needed to build trust and understanding with Canadians.
What should have been a clean rollout of a digital tool has been marred by poorly explained policies & lack of laws barring inappropriate access to Covid apps. That sucks in terms of tarnishing the work done by the app’s developers, & teams that assessed its security.
We’re not 1 or 2 or 3 months into the pandemic. Government should be able to walk & chew gum at the same time, and in the case of the Covid app just haven’t. It’s disappointing and speaks to the need for inclusive policy making, and better public messaging.
In summary.

* The technical elements of the apps are privacy-protective.
* There are laws/policies needing to be passed.
* Inclusive policy design and rollout is desperately needed.
We can’t keep excluding the least advantaged members of society: it’s wrong and counter productive. These failures are examples of structural inequities and systemic racism. We *MUST* correct inequities linked with the pandemic and policy development more generally.
Governments ought to know and understand and appreciate and be addressing such systemic inequities. And when given a chance to show they've been listening over the past few months, vis-a-vis this app, they've fallen on their face.

Again.

</fin>
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