Lab Rat in a Box

I’ve mostly stayed out of the conversation, lately, since no one likes to talk about the coronavirus pandemic (irony), now entering into the 2nd wave, according to our Prime Minister. His (nonpolitical) television ‘lecture’ last night, following yesterday’s Throne Speech, basically told us that we need to download a free app which will notify us if we’ve been in contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19.

That’s a bit too late. Between the time of the supposed contact and the health diagnosis, a week could have elapsed, and more people would have been infected. This isn’t good.

And, if we’ve learned anything about the ultimate cost of ‘free’ anything (see Facebook), we will be tracked everywhere and our casual contact with complete strangers will be logged for future reference. (It’s a brilliant surveillance tool.)

Why IT Won’t Work

First of all, not everyone has a mobile phone. Secondly, some people will refuse to download the app, even when it’s free. And thirdly, but most importantly, some (like me) leave their cellphones at home.

If you, as a government, cannot get everyone on board, the gaps in your ‘knowledge’ will be big enough to drive a tank through. This is doomed to failure.

Conclusion

In the minds of those who devised this app, the purpose was to actually warn you that someone near you in the restaurant or food store has COVID-19 and is not self-isolating.

In other words, another way to scare us all into compliance.

And, for some, a way to scare us to death.