Think Carefully About Any COVID-19 Tracing App

Below is an article from anti-surverillance group OASIS on the upcoming tracing app(s):

The fear of COVID-19 is viral. That play on our fear means that we may be rushing to introduce surveillance apps that we will later regret.

As one of the tools to fight COVID-19 the NZ government has promised that there will be a contact tracing app available by mid-May. The first iteration they have said, will be in the form of an on-line sign-up form, and could be out by 11th May.

But there has been minimal discussion about the pros and cons of COVID-19 apps. Rather, our fear of the virus and its effect on our world has meant that most people are unquestioningly accepting the necessity of using apps to keep the spread of the virus under control.

However, we need to break away from the fear factor and consider the long-term societal results of any COVID-19 apps. We need to consider possible consequences weighed up against any benefits. We need to not only question the short-term need for contact tracing but think of their long-term use and effect. We need to look at what we are being asked to give up.

Decisions made today about any tracing or tracking apps will have huge implications for our futures.

Read more here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Class War in the 21st Century New Zealand: A Combined Rant and Political Suicide Note by Sam Buchanan

  “ The oppressor would not be so strong if he did not have accomplices among the oppressed” – Simone de Beauvoir   Introduction The last 40 years have seen the incremental, but steady, shift of political power away from the working class. Much of this power has moved into the hands of the managers, bureaucrats and other functionaries that make up the Professional-Managerial Class (PMC). This is a problem, firstly because no particular sector of society should have an unfair share of power, secondly because these are people who have never liked democracy very much. Increasing inequality, in other words the continuing class war waged on the working class, also creates resentment (even if the losers are only vaguely aware of what is going on), crime, increased health and mental health costs and demands for increased repression and control. At this point, the Professional-Managerial Class are the main reason we aren ’ t getting anywhere. In the class war, they ’ ve chosen to pay
Read more

aargh! Issue 9 is out

Image
The latest aargh! (Aotearoa Anarchist Review for Gloomy Hypocrisy) is out and available at the shop for the incredibly low price of $2! Fifty years ago, in May 1968, protest movements all over the western world erupted, so we're taking a look back as well. We're looking at what happened to the anti-globalisation movement as well as the idea of open publishing. We even go back as far as the ancient Greeks to see what we can learn from them. After three weeks of relative autonomy, the refugees on Manus Island are back in prison. Closer to home we talk about communal living.
Read more

Plan B 2024 is here! Your Diary Planner for 2024

Image
Finally it's here: Plan B 2024 is out! It's taken a while, it got held up at the printers - but at last it's here! Plan B's a functional weekly planner. Each week includes dates and facts about resistance and events that have occurred since the early settlers and colonisers arrived in this country. And each month is introduced by a stunning image created by one of twelve local creatives.  The images commemorate some of those often ignored, overlooked, deliberately forgotten events that have happened in this country. We've got artwork highlighting protest and community action around housing and homes, deep sea oil exploration, colonialism, imperialism, racism, climate change, surveillance and more.  Many of the events and dates are from stories and histories that are usually overlooked in 'official' versions - so with Plan B, as you plot and plan your way though 2024, you know that you are not alone. You can be reminded of what has come before and that opposi
Read more