Timeline for Info on and removal of COVID contact tracing in Google Play Services
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
14 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 5, 2020 at 7:01 | history | edited | Robert | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jun 3, 2020 at 11:35 | comment | added | Robert | @progonkpa Tracking on Android was always possible even without the new tracking API. You can simply use Bluetooth to send whatever you like. Hence technically it does not make much difference. France for example has released their apps that do not (and will never) use the Google API because they want a centralized system. | |
| Jun 3, 2020 at 10:39 | comment | added | progonkpa | @Robert Yes. So this post boils down to not giving the government the option to track us, via Google, using our own devices. | |
| Jun 3, 2020 at 10:33 | comment | added | Robert | @progonkpa Tracking is mandatory if your government has decided so (not if Google does). There are already countries that have it mandatory (some countries in near east) and they decided so before the API was available. | |
| Jun 3, 2020 at 9:47 | comment | added | progonkpa | @Robert In normal circumstances I'd agree with you. Now, they'll get green light from governments because of 'the common good'. They attacked our Constitutional rights globally, tracking is the next lock step. Tracking is voluntary atm, though the installation was not. I deem it extremely likely that tracking won't be voluntary soon. That is if all people keep going along with this bs narrative. | |
| Jun 3, 2020 at 7:10 | comment | added | Robert | @progonkpa Google would be really stupid to collect data even if the user has not activated the tracking: the GoogleServices code is more or less public and the BlueToth beacons can easily be recognized. Therefore earlier or later someone would notice this. And in Europe we have the GDPR - violation can be sued with up to 4% of the firm’s worldwide annual revenue from the preceding financial year. For Google/Alphabet this would be a few billion dollar. Nobody in a commercial company would be so dumb to risk this. | |
| Jun 3, 2020 at 7:04 | history | edited | Robert | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jun 2, 2020 at 19:11 | comment | added | Paul | These devices have been installed for at least 6 months. My observation is that Google Play Services usually just updates itself whenever it wants to (including over cell service). | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 19:01 | comment | added | progonkpa | @Paul Do you know if Google Play Services updated before you checked the settings? | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 18:34 | comment | added | Paul | I just checked my Galaxy S5 and my SM-T713 and both have LOS 16 dated 4/19 with OpenGApps and I have the "COVID-19 Exposure Notifications" listed at the top of Settings -> Google services. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 18:33 | comment | added | progonkpa | An API doesn't tell us what it actually does. It only tells us which functionality is public. In other words, one could toggle off tracking and think: I'm all good now. But who's to say code is not running autonomically in the background, activating your bluetooth without showing it and report back home as soon as there's an internet connection, or even via a green card cell tower channel? I know this is out there. Then again, many things happening today are too. | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 18:27 | comment | added | Paul | Do you know if a useful test would be to install a COVID app and see if it reports errors? | |
| Jun 2, 2020 at 18:14 | history | edited | Robert | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jun 2, 2020 at 18:07 | history | answered | Robert | CC BY-SA 4.0 |