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Comment by b3n | Hacker News Reader

> and get a QR code scanned at every shop, every restaurant

How does this work for those who don't own a smartphone?

Here in the UK you do not need to scan, you can just write down your phone number and name. It's a legal requirement for the information to be accurate though, I think.

I believe that it is (rather, was) your "contact details", not everyone has a phone; and I've never heard of anyone being prosecuted for giving false details

They'll provide a sheet of paper. For some reason since covid I always forget to bring my phone when going out in Australia

I've had good luck asking for paper in Victoria. In Queensland I've just been told to use the app or fuck off.

I will use the paper one too. I don't really trust the app.

With the previous covid detection apps (the covid API from Apple/Google) privacy was really a key design goal and I had no issues using that.

With these new QR apps (the EU CoronaCheck program) there was less of a focus on this. Part of that makes sense, as it's meant to identify the user's status it's not possible to be completely anonymous. But there has hardly been any info on whether the apps phone home. Also, the Apple/Google API apps from each country were almost all open source. None of that now. It's taken for granted that privacy is not a concern anymore, for some reason.

You can print the QR code too.

Why the -1? :) The EU CoronaCheck used in most countries here was explicitly designed so it can be printed, for those without smartphones or not willing to use the app.

And most countries that enforce this are in the EU.

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