{"id":337985,"date":"2021-09-11T16:00:56","date_gmt":"2021-09-11T13:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-over-using-a-quarantine-app\/"},"modified":"2021-09-11T16:00:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-11T13:00:56","slug":"id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-over-using-a-quarantine-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-over-using-a-quarantine-app\/","title":{"rendered":"#I\u2019d prefer an ankle tag over using a quarantine app"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2abad140273\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2abad140273\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-over-using-a-quarantine-app\/#Location_tracking_and_facial_recognition\" >Location tracking and facial recognition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-over-using-a-quarantine-app\/#Reasons_for_concern\" >Reasons for concern<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-over-using-a-quarantine-app\/#The_perils_of_facial_recognition\" >The perils of facial recognition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-over-using-a-quarantine-app\/#High_technology_is_not_the_solution\" >High technology is not the solution<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#I\u2019d prefer an ankle tag over using a quarantine <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a><\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>South Australia has begun <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-08-23\/how-will-south-australias-home-quarantine-trial-work\/100398878\">a trial<\/a> of a new COVID app to monitor arrivals into the state. SA Premier Steven Marshall claimed, \u201cevery South Australian should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the home-based quarantine app\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He then doubled down with the boast that he was \u201cpretty sure the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> that we have developed within the South Australia government will become the national standard and will be rolled out across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victoria too has announced impending \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-09-09\/victoria-border-area-exemptions-allow-home-quarantine\/100444532\">technologically supported<\/a>\u201d home quarantine, though details remain unclear. Home quarantine will also eventually be <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-09-09\/scott-morrison-message-australians-overseas-covid19-quarantine\/100445680\">available for international arrivals<\/a>, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.<\/p>\n<p>The South Australian app has received little attention in Australia, but in the US the left-leaning Atlantic magazine called it \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/ideas\/archive\/2021\/09\/pandemic-australia-still-liberal-democracy\/619940\/\">as Orwellian as any in the free world<\/a>\u201d. Right-wing outlets such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2021\/sep\/04\/south-australia-facial-recognition-trial-covid-app-blasted-by-fox-and-breitbart-criticised-over-lack-of-safeguards\">Fox News and Breitbart<\/a> also joined the attack, and for once I find myself in agreement with them.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Location_tracking_and_facial_recognition\"><\/span>Location tracking and facial recognition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Despite the SA Premier\u2019s claims, this isn\u2019t the first such app to be used in Australia. A similar <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wa.gov.au\/government\/publications\/covid-19-coronavirus-g2g-now\">home-quarantine app<\/a> is already in use for arrivals into WA, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.g2gnow.com.au\/about\">in some cases the Northern Territory<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Both apps use geolocation and facial recognition software to track and identify those in quarantine. Users are required to prove they are at home when randomly prompted by the application.<\/p>\n<p>In SA, you have 15 minutes to get the face recognition software to verify you\u2019re still at home. In WA, it is more of a race. You have just 5 minutes before you risk a knock on the door from the police.<\/p>\n<p>Another difference is that the SA app is opt-in. Currently. The WA app is already mandatory for arrivals from high risk areas like Victoria. For extreme risk areas like NSW, it\u2019s straight into a quarantine hotel.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reasons_for_concern\"><\/span>Reasons for concern<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>But why are we developing such home-quarantine apps in the first place, when we already have a cheap technology to do this? If we want to monitor that people are at home (and that\u2019s a big <em>if<\/em>), wouldn\u2019t one of the ankle tags already used by our corrective services for home detention be much simpler, safer, and more robust?<\/p>\n<p>There are many reasons to be concerned about home-quarantine apps.<\/p>\n<p>First, they\u2019ll likely be much easier to hack than ankle tags. How many of us have hacked geo-blocks to access Netflix in the US, or to watch other digital content from another country? <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lifewire.com\/fake-gps-location-4165524\">Faking GPS location on a smartphone<\/a> is not much more difficult.<\/p>\n<p>Second, facial recognition software is often flawed and is frequently biased against people of color and against women. The documentary <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81328723\">Coded Bias<\/a> does a great job unpicking these biases.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Coded Bias | Trailer\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jZl55PsfZJQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">The documentary Coded Bias explains the common inbuilt flaws of facial recognition software.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite years of effort, even the big tech giants like Google and Amazon have been <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/venturebeat.com\/2021\/09\/03\/bias-persists-in-face-detection-systems-from-amazon-microsoft-and-google\/\">unable to eliminate these biases from their software<\/a>. I have little hope the SA government or the WA company GenVis, the developers of the two Australian home-quarantine apps, will have done better.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the Australian Human Rights Commission has called for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/tech.humanrights.gov.au\/overview\/summary\">a moratorium on the use of facial recognition software<\/a> in high-risk settings such as policing until better regulation is in place to protect human rights and privacy.<\/p>\n<p>Third, there needs to be a much more detailed and public debate around issues like privacy, and safeguards put in place based on this discussion, in advance of the technology being used.<\/p>\n<p>With COVID check-in apps, we were promised the data would only be used for public health purposes. But police forces around Australia have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/police-access-to-covid-check-in-data-is-an-affront-to-our-privacy-we-need-stronger-and-more-consistent-rules-in-place-167360\">accessed this information for other ends on at least six occasions<\/a>. This severely undermines the public\u2019s confidence and use of such apps.<\/p>\n<p>Before it was launched, the Commonwealth\u2019s COVIDSafe app had legislative prohibitions put in place on the use of the data collected for anything but contact tracing. This perhaps gave us a false sense of security as the state-produced COVID check-in apps did not have any such legal safeguards. Only some states have retrospectively introduced legislation to provide such protections.<\/p>\n<p>Fourth, we have to worry about how software like this legitimizes technologies like facial recognition that ultimately erode fundamental rights such as the right to privacy.<\/p>\n<p>If home-quarantine apps work successfully, will they open the door to facial recognition being used in other settings? To identify shoplifters? To provide access to welfare? Or to healthcare? What Orwellian world will this take us to?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_perils_of_facial_recognition\"><\/span>The perils of facial recognition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In China, we have already seen <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2019\/apr\/11\/china-hi-tech-war-on-muslim-minority-xinjiang-uighurs-surveillance-face-recognition\">facial recognition software used to monitor and persecute the Uighur minority<\/a>. In the US, at least three Black people have already wrongly ended up in jail due to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/29\/technology\/facial-recognition-misidentify-jail.html\">facial recognition errors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Facial recognition is a technology that is dangerous if it doesn\u2019t work (as is often the case). And dangerous if it does. It changes the speed, scale and cost of surveillance.<\/p>\n<p>With facial recognition software behind the CCTV cameras found on many street corners, you can be tracked 24\/7. You are no longer anonymous when you go out to the shops. Or when you protest about Black lives mattering or the climate emergency.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"High_technology_is_not_the_solution\"><\/span>High technology is not the solution<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>High tech software like facial recognition isn\u2019t a fix for the problems that have plagued Australia\u2019s response to the pandemic. It can\u2019t remedy the failure to buy enough vaccines, the failure to build dedicated quarantine facilities, or the in-fighting and point-scoring between states and with the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n<p>I never thought I\u2019d say this but, all in all, I think I\u2019d prefer an ankle tag. And if the image of the ankle tag seems too unsettling for you, we could do what Hong Kong has done and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/04\/08\/world\/asia\/hong-kong-coronavirus-quarantine-wristband.html\">make it a wristband<\/a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important;margin: 0 !important;max-height: 1px !important;max-width: 1px !important;min-height: 1px !important;min-width: 1px !important;padding: 0 !important\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/167533\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important;margin: 0 !important;max-height: 1px !important;max-width: 1px !important;min-height: 1px !important;min-width: 1px !important;padding: 0 !important\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/167533\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><em>Article by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/toby-walsh-51\">Toby Walsh<\/a>, Professor of AI at UNSW, Research Group Leader, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/unsw-1414\">UNSW<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-why-home-quarantine-apps-are-a-bad-idea-167533\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/id-prefer-an-ankle-tag-over-a-quarantine-app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#I\u2019d prefer an ankle tag over using a quarantine app&#8221; South Australia has begun a trial of a new COVID app to monitor arrivals into the state. SA Premier Steven Marshall claimed, \u201cevery South Australian should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the home-based quarantine app\u201d. He then doubled down with&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":337986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/09\/HomeQuarantine.jpg&signature=fb21b3d8f7ea722db4c0a9089eaf0826","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-337985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/337986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}