Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Monday April 13 2020, @05:58PM   Printer-friendly
from the proximity:-opposite-sides-of-the-same-wall dept.

Ross Anderson, a researcher at the Security Group at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, has written about contact tracing in the real world enumerating in detail some of the many shortcomings with and false assumptions about contact tracing as means of fighting a pandemic.

There are also real systems being built by governments. Singapore has already deployed and open-sourced one that uses contact tracing based on bluetooth beacons. Most of the academic and tech industry proposals follow this strategy, as the “obvious” way to tell who’s been within a few metres of you and for how long. The UK’s National Health Service is working on one too, and I’m one of a group of people being consulted on the privacy and security.

But contact tracing in the real world is not quite as many of the academic and industry proposals assume.

First, it isn’t anonymous. Covid-19 is a notifiable disease so a doctor who diagnoses you must inform the public health authorities, and if they have the bandwidth they call you and ask who you’ve been in contact with. They then call your contacts in turn. It’s not about consent or anonymity, so much as being persuasive and having a good bedside manner.

He is not alone in pointing out that claims of being able to anonymize personal data have largely been proven to be bunk. The rules we set in place now will be with us for a long time and have far-reaching effects. The need to be given an appropriate level of consideration.

Security researcher Bruce Schneier posted his concerns on the same contract tracing story.

Previously:
(2020-04-11) Apple and Google are Launching a Joint COVID-19 Tracing Tool for IOS and Android
(2020-04-08) Senators Raise Privacy Questions About Google's COVID-19 Tracker
(2014-10-16) How Nigeria Stopped Ebola


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2020, @05:12PM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2020, @05:12PM (#982665)

    Runaway1956 barbara hudson's IMPERSONATING me, again, for my confronting "it" (she/him/heshe/shim, lol) for impersonating ME "apologizing to 'it'" (I say "it" because IT is a disgusting abomination tranny) when I never did (why would I? "it" is a fucking disgusting CREEP WEIRDO of the HIGHEST ORDER as a TRANNY) https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=37046&page=1&cid=982296#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] that was caught in the link in my ps below actually admitting to stalking/harassing me quoted doing so telling others to do so along with "it" and then it tried to take me on regarding hosts, pascal vs. C/C++ & "it' got its TRANNY ASS BEAT THE FUCK DOWN easily by 'yours truly'.

    * I don't take that TRANZOID MONSTROSITY's bullshit.

    APK

    P.S.=> Barbara Hudson (really TOM HUDSON) is a well-known for DECADES online scumbag who "talks a good game" but WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN I showed how WEAK, STUPID & INCOMPETENT "it" REALLY is with facts vs. its bullshit https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=33430&page=1&cid=889582#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] since it likes playing BITCH GAMES like impersonating me & for what? MAKING "it" look STUPID (which IT is) for trying to "get the better of me" only for me to BEAT "it" DOWN easily... apk

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   -1  
       Flamebait=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Flamebait' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   -1  
  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 14 2020, @07:04PM (6 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday April 14 2020, @07:04PM (#982719) Journal

    Fuck right off and get a life. If someone "impersonates" you, then maybe you should create an account. You know how that works, click on the "create account" icon, fill out the necessary form, supply either a real or a throwaway email account, wait for a confirmation email, confirm, and BOOM! you are you and no one can impersonate you.

    As for he/she/it - fuck off again. I'll do my own denigrating of the Hudson character, and I don't need your help. I'm perfectly aware that Hudson is Tom Hudson, I was at Slashdot back when.

    Run along now, and fight your own stupid battles. From my perspective, it's hard to tell which of you is the fruitier fruitcake. Your HOSTS file schtick would be a lot more helpful if you toned the crazy down some. A lot of people really don't know how useful the HOSTS can be, but they never will know if you scream at them like a fucking crazed banshee.

    • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2020, @08:33PM (5 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2020, @08:33PM (#982766)

      Why would I be a FAKENAME wannabe like you for? LOL, no thanks - like you said, I actually PRODUCE THINGS OF VALUE for others... do you? Not that I've seen but you're welcome to prove me wrong (did you write it yourself IF you have? Let's see it then, in fairness - doubt you have).

      * Taking THAT "tone" w/ me? No, YOU FUCKOFF you FAKENAME fuckup weasel...

      (Don't like that BITCH? Come over to my face & I'll put your TEETH & ADAM'S APPLE right thru your throat & THRU YOUR ASSHOLE, boy...)

      APK

      P.S.> Fakename fuck wasting your life on forums, lol - do nothing bitch... apk

      • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday April 15 2020, @02:07AM (4 children)

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday April 15 2020, @02:07AM (#982885) Journal

        Don't use a fake name. Put your real name on your account, like Tom, or Michael David Crawford, or some other people here. Prove how manly you are.

        And, I'm quaking in my boots about you punching my teeth into my adam's apple. But, you do what you gotta do, internet tuff guy.

        • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 15 2020, @03:33AM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 15 2020, @03:33AM (#982906)

          Just to insert some facts, APK does have a SoylentNews account [soylentnews.org]. Yes, that's actually him. Who knows why he can't be bothered to log into it. I believe SN allows for longer usernames than Slashdot, so he could probably register AlexanderPeterKowalski or something like that if he wanted. But the APK account is also his.

          • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday April 15 2020, @03:50AM (1 child)

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday April 15 2020, @03:50AM (#982909) Journal

            A Polack? No point in arguing with him then. Us Poles argue just for the fun of it. He's just another big dumb bastard.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:40PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:40PM (#983603)

              Why don't you "practice what you preach" fakename & PROVE HOW "MANLY" YOU ARE? You don't because you're not manly @ all - especially considering that you fail a SIMPLE CHALLENGE I put to you (that's NOT so simple for someone like you that lives behind FAKE NAMES online, probably many, & YOU DO NOTHING as I said + which you now proved for me).

              * :)

              THE PRICE OF YOUR "Phantasyland FAKE NAME online" is that - nothing of value to your name since you OBVIOUSLY aren't CAPABLE of useful outputs. I am & you even SAID so, again, thanks... lol!

              BIG difference is that between someone like YOU vs. myself...

              THANKS for proving MY points - which ARE now for sure, BASED ON FACT (about you & yes, me (albeit in MY FAVOR, not yours)).

              APK

              P.S.=> I knew you would - so much for MY being 'stupid polack' (as you & other WEEZILS said in other posts about me in your "not manly @ all" hide behind a FAKENAME proving your fake wasted life doing nothing of value on YOUR end but you also stated that I actually DO - again, thanks)... apk

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:35PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2020, @02:35PM (#983601)

          Why don't you "practice what you preach" fakename & PROVE HOW "MANLY" YOU ARE? You don't because you're not manly @ all - especially considering that you fail a SIMPLE CHALLENGE I put to you (that's NOT so simple for someone like you that lives behind FAKE NAMES online, probably many, & YOU DO NOTHING as I said + which you now proved for me).

          * :)

          THANKS for proving MY points - which ARE now for sure, BASED ON FACT (about you & yes, me (albeit in MY FAVOR, not yours)).

          APK

          P.S.=> I knew you would - so much for MY being (as you said in other posts about me in your "not manly @ all" hide behind a FAKENAME proving your fake wasted life doing nothing of value on YOUR end but you also stated that I actually DO - again, thanks)... apk