[LINK] Absence of evidence to support contact-tracing apps

[Roger Clarke]

On 26/4/20 9:10 am, Tom Worthington wrote:
> On 25/4/20 4:22 pm, Roger Clarke wrote:
>> ... Covid-19 contact-tracing app ...


On 26/4/20 9:10 am, Tom Worthington wrote:
> Professor Troncoso's team at EPFL seem to have a reasonable approach
> with "Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing"
> https://github.com/DP-3T/documents/pulse
> 
> In the Australian case, and perhaps UK also, legislation may not be the 
> whole answer. The public needs to feel the app is being overseen by 
> people who are credible and competent.

The solution to such problems comprises a mix of organisational, 
technical and legal elements.  The legal bits provide necessary 
framework, and enforcement, but the guts of the solution are processes 
and people


> The Chief Digital Officer at the DTO, would appear to be the equivalent 
> to the Chief Medical Officer when it comes to government IT, and so a 
> suitable public servant to speak publicly about the tracking App project.
> 
> The government services minister, Stuart Robert, made assurances over 
> the the App. He was awarded a Master of Information Technology by QUT in 
> 1998 ...

He's been such an embarrassment throughout his parliamentary career that 
they may have withdrawn it by now.

________________

so should be competent to express such a view. However, Minister
> Robert previously claimed a failure of the myGov portal in March was due 
> to a DDoS attack. The Minister later admitted there was no attack, which 
> makes him less than credible spokesperson on IT. 
> https://www.itnews.com.au/news/minister-backflips-on-mygov-ddos-attack-claim-539704 
> 
> 
> The Australian Government has a very limited pool of suitably qualified 
> ministers to speak on a technology project (Shadow Cabinet has even 
> fewer). 
> https://www.torrens.edu.au/blog/business/what-degrees-do-ministers-in-australia-have-and-why-it-matters-guess-the-top-3 
> 
> 
> Senator Reynolds, Minister for Defence, might be the best choice, with 
> her military training.
> 
> 


-- 
Roger Clarke                            mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
T: +61 2 6288 6916   http://www.xamax.com.au  http://www.rogerclarke.com

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Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University