Belgarion wrote on Apr 18
th, 2020 at 11:07am:
I'm interested though, in how a mandatory download could be enforced. Any of you more tech savvy people have an idea?
Firstly, obviously, legislation... It will be an offense not to have the app installed...
But the devil will lie in the detail.
You will be liable for a fine if a police officer can detect that you do not have the app installed... That wouldn't be that high-tech... Of course, if you didn't have a smartphone with you... Well that'd a detail that would be left for another day when regulations, supporting the legislation, are refined.
What politicians will do is wait until a high-profile case or cases come to light... Then a good old finger wagging at those potential virus carriers caught without the app, will be the trigger for more rigorous and smarter app verification software...
Unfortunately the media will assist the government here because 'if it bleeds, it leads' , so those who are the unlucky examples... Will be painted as (quasi) 'terrorists'.... An attitude that the government will likely blatantly endorse.
Of course, the government of the day, will use the 'Pontius Pilate' defence and simply wash their hands of any consequences because 'the people can't be trusted to do the right thing', and a variation of the line... 'We tried to be nice about it but look what you made us do. Now you've forced our hand'... Will be the Prime Ministerial catch-cry.
In the end 'the people' will be blamed for having 'not having done the right thing' and now nana's sick.