Philippines considers app to trace coronavirus carriers

The Philippines has started planning an app to help the government track the movements and contacts of people who carry the novel coronavirus. The news comes as part of President Duterte's report to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on how the country is tackling the spread of the novel coronavirus. According to the …

[Anonymous Coward]

Coming soon to the UK as well

1) Acknowledged, compulsory surveillance of phone locations.

2) Shoot-on-sight Death Penalty for Treading on the Cracks in the Pavement.

3) Drone Strikes on anyone caught on video walking their dog.

[Pangasinan Philippines]

He's a laugh a minute our pres.

He just says things for effect and to make people take notice.

The uneducated people in the poorer areas probably believe him.

The Philippines DICT had not responded to The Register's requests for further information at the time of writing

Likely they are all at home like the rest of us. I had to drive my car around the block yesterday just to check that it works!

At least we get to skype the grandchildren in the UK more often

[sanmigueelbeer]

Re: He's a laugh a minute our pres.

He just says things for effect and to make people take notice.

Hold on a minute. Are you talking about the Philippine President or another one? Y'know, the one with an orange hair?

[Andy Non]

Wonder how accurate it would be anyway?

I notice my phone tags any photos I take at home with a location of a house on the street behind my street!

I'd be shot as a criminal for not staying home and trespassing in other people's houses!

[Amentheist]

Re: Wonder how accurate it would be anyway?

Play Store release notes:

"<slack-like tripe cheeky trendy opening>

- Fixed a bug that caused users to be shot in error.

- You can now send emojis to your neighbours as well as reporting them for breaking isolation.

Performance improvements."

[Christoph]

"your life was in danger, shoot them dead"

Pretty well any police force will respond with lethal force if their life is perceived to be in danger. For instance if they're aiming a gun at you (or in the US, if they're black and running away from you).

But the idea of someone who is breaking quarantine being so likely to threaten a policeman's life that a special warning must be given is extremely odd.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, *anyone* under the Coronavirus Act 2020 can be considered a "Potential" source of infection, so that'll justify it.

[e^iπ+1=0]

'started planning an app'

Sounds dumb.

I'm sure if they ask nicely they could get a translated version of the chinese app, maybe even using their servers for free.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: 'started planning an app'

Either way, it will contain some undocumented tracking feature that when discovered will be blamed on errant software engineers

[Reginald Onway]

Police state mass surveillance

There's always another good...excuse.