Concerns have been raised in Singapore that the contact confirmation app can be used for criminal investigations



In Singapore,

TraceTogether , an app for checking contact with the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), and dedicated wearable devices are distributed free of charge to the public, and these are widespread in about 78% of the population. However, Singapore officials have confirmed that law enforcement agencies can access these data and use them for criminal investigations, raising concerns among the public from the perspective of protecting personal information.

Singapore police can access COVID-19 contact tracing data for criminal investigations | ZDNet
https://www.zdnet.com/article/singapore-police-can-access-covid-19-contact-tracing-data-for-criminal-investigations/

From the beginning, there were privacy concerns about TraceTogether and wearable devices. However, it has been repeatedly argued that TraceTogether and wearable devices are not tracking devices because they do not use internet communication or GPS and only communicate with other devices via Bluetooth. In addition, pre-registered phone numbers and identification numbers are encrypted and stored in random IDs, and Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said, 'Data can only be accessed by physically handing over the device. It is possible and will not be accessed unless it is diagnosed as positive. '



Barakrishnan said the data was 'only accessible to a limited contact tracking team,' but Singapore's Interior Minister Desmond Tan said in parliament on January 4, 2020. , Singapore police have access to data for criminal investigations. Below is a video of the parliament where he made a statement.

Parliament Sitting 4 January 2021 --YouTube


For TraceTogether, Mr. Tan has taken strict measures to protect personal data: 'Only authorized persons can access the data, use the data for authorized purposes, and store the data on a secure platform.' 'Although it is possible to access all data under the Criminal Litigation Act, they are only done by authorized persons and used only to combat the spread of the new coronavirus,' he said. In response, when asked if police use of the data violated TraceTogether's privacy policy, Tan said, 'We cannot use TraceTogether's data in situations where the safety of our citizens is threatened. I don't deny it, and these uses apply to all other data. '

In response to the news, digital privacy expert Ray Walsh said, 'A large-scale surveillance network has been constructed by tracking systems distributed to the general public, and they have rights such as abuse and freedom of movement. It might be a robbery. '

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