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digital contact tracing is indeed mass surveillance. this app is made by the government so it's mass surveillance conducted by Hongkong SAR - a part of the CCP-run PRC.
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'''LeaveHomeSafe''' ({{zh|c=安心出行}}) is a [[digital contact tracing]] app launched by the Hong Kong Government on November 16, 2020 to conduct [[COVID-19 apps|contact tracing]] in Hong Kong. The program can be downloaded for free, allowing users to record their whereabouts. Although the program does not need to turn on the GPS positioning function, the user must authorize LeaveHomeSafe to use its mobile phone’s communication network, camera lens, notification function, and prevent the mobile phone from going to sleep. It also captures other applications running on the mobile phone, and the personal data collection statement of LeavehomeSafe stated that the mobile application will upload mobile phone data to the Department of Health, and the relevant records can be retained for seven years, and can be forwarded to law enforcement agencies or government-authorized agencies.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Morris |title=「安心出行」紀錄會被上傳至衞生署，將保存最少 7 年及可轉交其他部門 |url=https://qooah.com/2021/03/24/leavehomesafe-save-for-7-years/ |website=Qooah.co |access-date=2021-03-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=安心出行不安心？ 揭開應用程式權限注意位 |url=https://wepro180.com/editorial-feature/【專家獨家教路】安心出行不安心？-揭開應用程式/ |website=WePro18 |access-date=2021-03-24}}</ref>
'''LeaveHomeSafe''' ({{zh|c=安心出行}}) is a [[digital contact tracing]] app launched by the Hong Kong Government on November 16, 2020 to conduct [[mass surveillance]] in Hong Kong in the name of [[COVID-19 apps|contact tracing]] . The program can be downloaded for free, allowing users to record their whereabouts. Although the program does not need to turn on the GPS positioning function, the user must authorize LeaveHomeSafe to use its mobile phone’s communication network, camera lens, notification function, and prevent the mobile phone from going to sleep. It also captures other applications running on the mobile phone, and the personal data collection statement of LeavehomeSafe stated that the mobile application will upload mobile phone data to the Department of Health, and the relevant records can be retained for seven years, and can be forwarded to law enforcement agencies or government-authorized agencies.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Morris |title=「安心出行」紀錄會被上傳至衞生署，將保存最少 7 年及可轉交其他部門 |url=https://qooah.com/2021/03/24/leavehomesafe-save-for-7-years/ |website=Qooah.co |access-date=2021-03-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=安心出行不安心？ 揭開應用程式權限注意位 |url=https://wepro180.com/editorial-feature/【專家獨家教路】安心出行不安心？-揭開應用程式/ |website=WePro18 |access-date=2021-03-24}}</ref>


==History==
==History==

Revision as of 04:47, 23 November 2021

LeaveHomeSafe
安心出行
Initial releaseNovember 16, 2020; 3 years ago (2020-11-16)
Operating systemAndroid, iOS, HarmonyOS
Available inEnglish, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified
TypeDigital contact tracing
COVID-19 apps
Mobile app
Websitewww.leavehomesafe.gov.hk/en/ Edit this on Wikidata

LeaveHomeSafe (Chinese: 安心出行) is a digital contact tracing app launched by the Hong Kong Government on November 16, 2020 to conduct mass surveillance in Hong Kong in the name of contact tracing . The program can be downloaded for free, allowing users to record their whereabouts. Although the program does not need to turn on the GPS positioning function, the user must authorize LeaveHomeSafe to use its mobile phone’s communication network, camera lens, notification function, and prevent the mobile phone from going to sleep. It also captures other applications running on the mobile phone, and the personal data collection statement of LeavehomeSafe stated that the mobile application will upload mobile phone data to the Department of Health, and the relevant records can be retained for seven years, and can be forwarded to law enforcement agencies or government-authorized agencies.[1][2]

History

2020

On November 24, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a press conference that citizens will be encouraged to use it voluntarily, but it is not ruled out that citizens will be required to enter and exit designated premises (including restaurants, etc.). They must use the Leavehomesafe mobile app.[3] On November 25, 2020, the Hong Kong government stated that more than 12,000 public and private venues have been included in the list, including shopping malls, theaters, government agencies, parks and restaurants, among which more than 1,000 restaurants of various types have participated.The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer announced that as of February 17, 2021, Anxin Travel had more than 1 million downloads.

2021

January

Starting from January 28, the government stipulates that citizens entering government buildings or offices must scan the QR code on their mobile phones with the LeaveHomeSafe program before they can enter.[4]

February

On February 2, the Chinese Temples Committee stated that it is necessary to scan the QR code of LeaveHomeSafe to enter the Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin. The Wong Tai Sin Temple requires that from the first day of the Lunar New Year to the 15th of the first lunar month, believers who enter the temple must scan the LeaveHomeSafe QR code before they can get an "Entry Permit.[5]

On February 10, the government announced that starting from March 1, government employees and citizens must scan the QR code to record the name, contact number, and date and time of the visit when entering all government premises. On the 18th of the same month, the government required restaurants and other designated premises to force customers to use LeaveHomeSafe to record the whereabouts of citizens, otherwise they will be fined for 3 to 14 days.[6]

On February 22, the number of downloads of LeaveHomeSafe exceeded 2.69 million. In addition to topping the download list in Hong Kong. However, in the App Store for Apple mobile phones, LeaveHomeSafe is only downloaded by registered users in 45 countries, and only Hong Kong and Macau rank first in downloads. Some netizens said that no one around them used LeaveHomeSafe, but the number of downloads increased sharply. In addition, there were comments that were not related to LeaveHomeSafe, such as game micro-transaction advertisements.Therefore there's doubt that through the service company, the application finds people to download a large number of relevant programs and give them five-star praise, so as to raise the download ranking list of LeaveHomeSafe. Compared with Google Play, because the App Store has stricter controls on the "Ranking list", So it is more difficult to brush high downloads. The government Facebook page "Tamar Terrace" stated that the program can be used by people who live in Hong Kong or travel on business or travel. The government did not commission any person or organization to purchase any online advertisements, but it did not answer the number of repeated downloads of LeaveHomeSafe.[7][8]

November

Starting from November 1, the government stipulates that citizens entering government buildings or offices must scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code on their mobile phones before entering. Writing personal information is prohibited and cannot be used as an alternative.[9][10]

Permissions

According to the permission statement of "LeaveHomeSafe" written on the Google Play, the permissions include using the camera, taking photos and videos, accessing device and application software records, capturing running application softwares, receiving internet data, control vibration of the device, execute at startup, prevent device from going to sleep, complete network access.[11]

According to the "Record App Activity" function at Apple ios 15.0, this application will link to different websites to exchange data, including:

  • www.regqr.gov.hk
  • www.leavehomesafe.gov.hk
  • firebaselogging-pa.googleapis.com
  • device-provisioning.googleapis.com
  • firebaseinstallations.googleapis.com

places mandatory to use LeaveHomeSafe

Except for people under 12 and aged 65 or above, and people with disabilities who have difficulty in using "LeaveHomeSafe", all persons entering the following premises must use the "LeaveHomeSafe" app to scan the QR code on the spot after registering. It is forbidden to write down personal information as substitute.

Government premises

Starting from November 1, 2021

  • All district post offices, housing department estate offices
  • Civil Administration
  • Community halls and community centers in all districts (including temporary shelter centers), home affairs consultation centers, offices of Licensing Offices and offices of the Heritage Beneficiary Support Group
  • Court Building
  • Government schools (except students)
  • HA headquarters and public hospitals
  • Library
  • Markets, hawker markets and cooked food markets
  • Museum
  • Offices of the Department of Health, clinics, health centers, etc.
  • Performance venue
  • Police headquarters and district police stations
  • Public swimming pool
  • Sports premises
    • Indoor sports premises
    • Outdoor sports premises

Other premises

Starting from April 29, 2021

Reactions

When LeaveHomeSafe was launched, it was questioned for requesting too many permissions, including "read USB content" and "check Wi-Fi connection." Afterwards, LeaveHomeSafe was updated, and the required permissions were reduced from 15 to 7. However, according to the version 1.1.4 of the application, the permission of the application still includes the retrieval of the running applications.

According to the program development forum, this is a tool that can help hackers invade. While the travel records that LeaveHomeSafe uploads to government will be kept for 7 years, the records in the app will only be kept for 31 days. Su Junwen, a member and barrister of Law and Political Science, thinks that it is unacceptable and dangerous for the government to force citizens to use programs. It is believed that it will set a bad precedent, and people think that the government is invading personal privacy on the grounds of fighting the epidemic.

Some restaurants indicated that they would rather only do takeaways than having customers scan the QR code at the restaurant. They were worried about whether they could protect their privacy. Some hot pot restaurants pointed out that the related arrangements would not help the business too much. Some restaurants even post a QR code that mimics LeaveHomeSafe, but after scanning it with a mobile phone, it will link to an unrelated website.[12][13][14]

In February 2021, the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance questioned that LeaveHomeSafe is for monitoring the public, not for epidemic prevention. Subsequently, the Innovation and Technology Bureau and the Hospital Authority issued articles to refute the allegations. Nie Dequan, the director of the Civil Service Bureau, said that the LeaveHomeSafe program has no tracking function and will not reveal privacy. The Hospital Authority Employees Alliance issued a statement in response, saying that the Innovation and Technology Bureau misled the public and made it difficult for the public to feel at ease. It also criticized the government's poor performance in epidemic prevention and if the government continues to ignore public opinion, it will only further deepen public grievances. The organization stated that in the next week it will continue to appeal to citizens in different areas to boycott LeaveHomeSafe.[15]

Controversies

Download quantity problem

The app "LeaveHomeSafe", except for Hong Kong, Macao and China, the download ranks first in countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Bahamas, Belize, Cape Verde, Fiji, Micronesia, Guinea-Bissau, Iceland, Cayman Islands, Laos, Niger, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands as well as British Virgin Islands. Some countries mentioned above do not have a close relationship or frequent communications with Hong Kong, some netizens thinks that "someone" has asked for help from some company to increase downloads.[citation needed]

Forcing people using "LeaveHomeSafe" when entering government sites

The Hong Kong SAR government stipulates that starting from November 1, 2021, people must scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" QR code when entering government venues, including hospitals and markets must and cannot use handwritten forms to write down personal information as substitute. This is different from what the SAR government claimed at the beginning they will not force people using "LeaveHomeSafe" and is being criticized as backlash.[16]

Affect the entry of homeless people into government premises

A community organization concerned about the issue of the homeless people stated that it is observed that less than a quarter of the homeless people in Hong Kong have their own smartphone, but the government has not stated whether the homeless people can be exempted and worried that the use of public facilities, such as the Social Welfare Department, sports centre and the Labor Department will be affected. They describe that "the government is setting a new poverty line".[17]

Injured man being asked to scan the LeaveHomeSafe QR code before entering the emergency department

An injured man with a bloody head rushed to the accident and emergency department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital and being forced to scan the QR code of the "LeaveHomeSafe" before entering the accident and emergency department. However, citizens are already required to provide personal information when registering at the accident and emergency department, requesting emergency patients to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" being criticized as unnecessary, disturbing and annoying to the public.[18]

Affecting the business of government markets

The Hong Kong government stated that starting from November 1, 2021, citizens entering the market are forced to use "LeaveHomeSafe". It is forbidden to write down personal information as substitute. Some people stated that they would not enter the market and would change to buy food from stalls outside the market or supermarkets. Some vendors said that some customers called to request diplomatic receipt of goods outside the market. Some vendors expected that the business would be reduced by 20 to 30%, thinking that the measures are unfair to them.[19] 陳袁輝, the chairman of 油麻地街市枱商聯會, pointed out that there are difficulties in implementation. The current government market suffer the shortage of manpower, it is difficult to arrange people to check every entrance and exit. As a result, people can get into the market in some entrances and exits without checking their "LeaveHomeSafe". It is estimated that the entire Hong Kong needs 2,000 security guards in order to fulfill the needs. He also worries that people will reduce entering to the government market, preferring to patronize to the street vendors, criticizing the measures causing fewer business to the merchants.[20]

Fake Apps

On November 1, 2021, the police has arrested five people in Immigration Tower for using an imitation app. Three of these were government employees and the other two were contractors.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wong, Morris. "「安心出行」紀錄會被上傳至衞生署，將保存最少 7 年及可轉交其他部門". Qooah.co. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  2. ^ "安心出行不安心？ 揭開應用程式權限注意位". WePro18. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  3. ^ 彭, 焯煒. "限聚新措施一覽｜林鄭：關閉人群聚集室內處所 餐廳須裝安心出行". OI. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  4. ^ "【安心出行App】周四恢復部份公共服務 政府：前往政府大樓或辦事處需用「安心出行」". HKET. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  5. ^ "99年首次：黃大仙頭炷香取消". Mingpao. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  6. ^ Wu, Minfang. "【安心出行】年初七起食飯睇戲要用安心出行 一文看清安心出行App 使用權限". HKET. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  7. ^ Shao, Zhongan. "安心出行｜英屬處女島巴布亞新幾內亞都有人用安心App？ Android下載排行榜多達55個國家有上榜". hk.appledaily. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  8. ^ "安心出行多國下載首位 資科辦否認「篤數」". Mingpao. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  9. ^ "嚴格執行進入政府大樓和辦公處所前使用「安心出行」的要求". 政府新聞公報. October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  10. ^ "【擴大強制】入公立醫院下月起亦必須掃「安心出行」　市民：政府搵個藉口迫你用". 立場新聞. October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  11. ^ 安心出行在Google Play上的聲明
  12. ^ "醫管局員工陣線批創科局就「安心出行」誤導市民圖建立監控系統". Headline Daily. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  13. ^ "【安心出行】年初七起食飯睇戲要用安心出行 一文看清安心出行App 使用權限". HKET. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  14. ^ "17類處所強制貼「安心碼」 先鼓勵自願用 預告或強制掃碼 林鄭：可揀不去". Mingpao. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "安心出行紀錄會上傳衞生署 資料提供執法人員 + 記錄留7年". Unwire.hk. March 24, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  16. ^ "官喜出爾反爾 民怎安心出行？". 明報. October 26, 2021. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; October 26, 2021 suggested (help)
  17. ^ "政府場地將強制使用安心出行 無手機無家者的不安：去公廁唔使㗎呵？". 立場新聞. October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  18. ^ "傷者頭破血流要掃碼才准入急症室　市民狠批醫院多此一舉". 東方日報. November 1, 2021.
  19. ^ "周一起食環署街市及熟食市場須用安心出行　有檔販引述顧客稱不會再去". Now新聞. October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  20. ^ "安心出行｜街市商販批措施騷擾　部份街市缺人手監管封鎖出口". 香港01. November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  21. ^ "5人涉用假安心出行被捕　消息指包括入境及審計署人員" (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved November 1, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LeaveHomeSafe&oldid=1056719659"