The government’s track and trace app doesn’t work – 8 savage takedowns
When the government unveiled its track and trace plan to control the spread of Covid-19, they placed an app squarely at the heart of it, with an intended release date in May.
Boris Johnson described the system as “world beating”, in spite of there being no data to back that up, and the app launch was pushed back to June.
Now it’s June, and there’s no app.
At Thursday’s daily briefing, Matt Hancock explained that their app doesn’t work and a different one is being developed with the cooperation of Apple and Google.
"We discovered a technical barrier" that every other country with track and trace apps has found, says Health Secretary Matt Hancock
"Our app won't work because Apple won't change their system"https://t.co/b10HSyJ6Xq pic.twitter.com/dEYNBzGrWF
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) June 18, 2020
The statement didn’t chime well with political editor, Dan Bloom.
Matt Hancock today: "We backed both horses" – and worked on two apps at once.
Department of Health told me in an on-record statement on May 18: "There is no alternative app."
Doesn't look great on the face of it. Hope no one tells the guy who runs the Department of Health.
— Dan Bloom (@danbloom1) June 18, 2020
The fiasco led to these savage takedowns.
1.
Who could have predicted that a government that got it so wrong on going into lockdown and PPE and protecting care homes and testing and getting kids back to school and everything else would have got it so wrong on the track and trace app. https://t.co/gqZs0W2LAA
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) June 18, 2020
2.
really sorry to announce that my world beating app is not compatible with Apple or Android phones because it was developed on a ZX Spectrum
— end of daves ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@davemacladd) June 18, 2020
3.
The government's latest track and trace app… YOU'VE GOT COVID! pic.twitter.com/DkzFjtDuP7
— SoliTrude (@Trudski2012) June 18, 2020
4.
If nothing else, I'm at least going to set an all time record for the number of U-turns by one Prime Minister:
-NHS bereavement scheme
-NHS surcharge
-use of face masks
-free school meals
-track and trace app
I'm on a roll… #DailyBriefing— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) June 18, 2020
5.
Brilliant. According to the govt our useless track and trace app was part of a world-beating international effort into showing other countries what not to do. taking one for the team
— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) June 18, 2020
6.
Who could have guessed that an app designed by Google-Apple and already tested in lots of other countries might be more reliable than something banged out by a mate of Dom's?#Apple #Google https://t.co/74b7PlOdjL
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) June 18, 2020
7.
I'm going to build my own contact tracing app with blackjack and hookers. In fact, forget the contact tracing app. pic.twitter.com/BYtlfvvNUj
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 18, 2020
8.
Britain's "World-beating" tracing app. #DowningStreetBriefing pic.twitter.com/Qf4sKs4qeJ
— Britgirl Hates Bozo and Brexit (@MarieAnnUK) June 18, 2020
James O’Brien had an idea.
I think it’s time to turn Matt Hancock off & then on again.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) June 18, 2020
Anything has to be worth a try.
READ MORE
People were not happy at Matt Hancock’s horse racing announcement – these 7 won by a head
Source BBC Image Screengrab, @bhagus on Unsplash
