It serves to undermine our local clergy as well who are rightly encouraging us to obey the local authorities who have the common good in their hands. Our Archbishop called for us all to sign up for the contact tracking app. after Mass finished last Sunday. A handful of far away clergy have no business trying to speak for all Catholics.
That is absolutely disturbing. To think that such a tool will not be taken advantage of right out of the gate is a bit too much trust being given to government.
Yes, it does sometimes undermine local clergy and the local authorities, and that can be a good thing. The local authorities have a responsibility for the common good in their hands to be sure, but that doesn’t mean they mean to act in a Catholic way with those hands. You can argue that e.g. a required location tracking app is a good thing, but it can be a very bad thing in the wrong hands, even if they are the “legal responsibility” hands.
All I can tell you is that Australians don’t think there’s all that much to fear from such an app. My husband and 2 sons are all IT professionals and have all signed up. I can’t really see how it’s any more of a threat than all the many ‘big brother’ devices we already allow into our lives.Emeraldlady:
That is absolutely disturbing. To think that such a tool will not be taken advantage of right out of the gate is a bit too much trust being given to government.
Private corporations and some governments have been wanting to track peoples every movement for more than a decade. Now there is a pretext for it. People in the US are aware of how badly corporations want to track people and so are NOT on board with it. We want MORE privacy regarding technology not less. Congress knows this but will not act because they want to “play ball” with big tech.
Do you think that way about all the other smart devices you own or just this app. BTW it isn’t a tracking app. It’s a contact tracing app. meaning that it connects to other phones that we are in close contact with for more than 15 minutes at a time. It isn’t tracking movements other than that.Emeraldlady:
Yes, it does sometimes undermine local clergy and the local authorities, and that can be a good thing. The local authorities have a responsibility for the common good in their hands to be sure, but that doesn’t mean they mean to act in a Catholic way with those hands. You can argue that e.g. a required location tracking app is a good thing, but it can be a very bad thing in the wrong hands, even if they are the “legal responsibility” hands.
A couple of those signatories have already got a history of presenting themselves as alternate Magisterium. Their credibility is already suspect.
Aussies aren’t as prone to see threat in every other bush and shadow. I think a major cause for that has to do with how the world is presented through media.
Agree, the thought of a contact tracking app is a little too much and definitely a little too much invasion of privacy.
Do you have the same degree of fear with regards to your standard cell phone?ricmat:
Agree, the thought of a contact tracking app is a little too much and definitely a little too much invasion of privacy.
I do realize that our cell phones track where we have been and also our computers can watch what we are doing. There are ways to change settings or tape over cameras, different things to stop the invasion of privacy. I also have family in IT and they showed me what to do to help maintain some privacy.
But this app. which has access to far less of our electronic information, can be deleted at any moment and that’s what is intended once the pandemic ends. I can tell you that the particular threat you are articulating is not an issue at all.Emeraldlady:
I do realize that our cell phones track where we have been and also our computers can watch what we are doing. There are ways to change settings or tape over cameras, different things to stop the invasion of privacy. I also have family in IT and they showed me what to do to help maintain some privacy.
Well, this is what we are being told right now. Will they say the same thing in a couple of months?
I think we will have to agree to disagree here.
You’re correct. I’m a former IT professional, and currently a volunteer IT professional, and there are a lot of apps and devices that can act as big brother devices. Every year or two, I go on a personal expedition to figure out how to get Google out of my life. Unfortunately I’ve learned that Microsoft is no better. Amazon is no better. Apple is no better. And making a open source home server to replace them is just not possible.
I just read today that tracking apps are out. Microchipping is in.
Yes. I certainly do.
So then it comes down to allowing things that serve your personal wants, but rejecting a simple app designed for the common good for a time?
Not in Australia. Sounds like conspiracy theory.
I’m not rejecting anything in particular (the Australian app). I do think it’s important to recognize the risks involved. And promises of “it will be turned off, and all the data deleted later” — don’t believe it. Australia is no better than the USA, or Canada, or the EU countries.
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