Is Staysafe.ph really reliable?

THE COUNTRY’S official digital contact tracing system – the Staysafe.ph – may not be as reliable as what the government claims it to be.

The application was developed by Multisys Technologies Corporation in collaboration with PLDT-SMART Group and PLDT Enterprise, and the national government’s Inter-agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the National Task Force on Covid-19.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) also ordered all local governments and the public to use and patronize the Staysafe.ph application which utilizes a uniformed quick response (QR) code that users show when entering enclosed public and private establishments. And for those who do not have smartphones, they can go to a designated help desk or customer assistance desk for the registration with the Staysafe.ph or for the generation and printing of the QR code.

There is also a penalty for those, including establishments which fail to adapt the digital contact tracing system and for the first offense, the penalty is P2,000 and P3,000 for the next offense, and P5,000 for the third offense.

The application can be accessed on the App store for iphone, Google Play for Android devices and App Gallery for Huawei.

A user also needs to enter or answer questions related to health or whether the user has Covid-19 symptoms; and that is why the Staysafe.ph may not be reliable because the user can enter false information to all the questions during registration to download the digital contract tracing application.

The application also alerts the registered user if there is somebody nearby who is exposed or has symptoms of the deadly respiratory virus. The Exposure Notification can be turned on or off, but the application can only be used if the user’s smart phone is connected to a Wi-fi or the Internet and Bluetooth using their postpaid or pre-paid data from a telecom company. And most smart phone users do not turn on their data because it is expensive or turn on the Bluetooth because it would drain the phone’s battery and also risk being hacked or infected with malwares or spywares.

Malwares of malicious software is designed to harm or exploit any programmable device, service or network. Cybercriminals typically use it to extract data that they can leverage over victims for financial gain. And spyware is unwanted software that infiltrates computing devices, even smartphones and steals internet usage data and sensitive information.

The DILG said the Staysafe.ph application is an effective tool for contact tracing nationwide because it ensures consistent and unified contact tracing reporting, making it easier for government authorities and medical experts to keep track of the cases all over the country and carry out decisive actions to stem the rapid transmission of the virus.

It said the application is currently being used by some 15 million users and 700 local governments in the country, according to the DILG. It aims to reach at least 50 million users and connect all 1,634 city and municipal governments across the country.

David Almirol, President and CEO of the Multisys Technologies Corporation, said the digital contact tracing application is designed to aid in the management of Covid-19 cases by reminding people to maintain physical distance, as well as recording and monitoring symptoms of the deadly respiratory disease.

The application engages the public against the spread of Covid-19 and aggregates all reports available in desktop and mobile versions, allowing the government to respond quickly to people’s needs and make informed and timely decisions to keep the public safe during this time of the pandemic. (Mindanao Examiner)