Maajid Nawaz assured that NHS app will not compromise privacy of Brits
12 April 2020, 14:40
David Davis on new government permissions
A new app that will inform people if they have come in contact with people with coronavirus has been branded safe by former Brexit minister David Davis.
Maajid Nawaz was incredibly skeptical on air of the release of an app that will use a person's location to determine if they've been in contact with coronavirus sufferers.
He was concerned with how data would be used and believed that there was too much power in the hands of whoever operates the app, and was also unsure of how involved the NHS would be in the app.
David Davis MP was on air assuring Maajid that he has nothing to worry about in regard to the app. "It's under very very transparent arrangements" the former Brexit Secretary said and insisted that the app is more of a benefit to society than a harm.
Through using location services to inform the public if they've crossed paths with a person carrying coronavirus and inviting them to be tested, Mr. Davis told Maajid that "it enables you to slow down dramatically the impact of the virus".
Insisting that privacy concerns are being taken into account, Mr. Davis told Maajid that it has been already noted that the data on this app has to be held accountable to a state organisation, adding that parliament have been given power over how the data is used.
"The data is destroyed after 21 days" David Davis said, rubbishing concerns over privacy with this new app.
David Davis added that "once we get to the end of the crisis, these laws are suspended until the next crisis" further stressing that the public need not worry about how the government has access to their information.
Maajid wanted to know whether the government's access to the app for accountability would need to be written into law, To which Mr. Davis told Maajid not only will it have to be written in to law, it will also face little or no opposition.
"It will go through parliament without being opposed at all" the former Brexit Secretary said, insisting that it is known throughout Westminster that the app is secure and people's information is not only protected, but it will be deleted after three weeks of being on the app.
