GH COVID-19 Tracker App safe to download – Government

The Ministry of Communications has assured users of the GH COVID-19 Tracker App of safety of information being provided.

Speaking at the Ministry of Information Press briefing on Tuesday, Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful reiterated maximum protection of data insisting standard security protocols and permission worldwide have been used in the building of the App.

“Those permissions are the standard permissions that many of these web links and platforms will require from any App. So maybe the answer will be is as safe as Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, because you’ll see that the permissions are the normal standard permissions that anyone will require. And the same protocols are being used…as i indicated the only information that we need the citizen’s location and the numbers so that the Ghana Health Service can know exactly where the issues, hotspots are and zero in on them,” she told a Press conference Tuesday morning.

The response of the ministry comes after some concerns from some section of the public over the application security issues in relation to the personal information required by the App to help in identifying and tracing persons who have come into contact with infected persons.

The Vice President launched the App on Monday, April 13, 2020.

The App is a user friendly and free to download mobile software application powered by the Ministry of Communication to among other things, help the government in identifying and tracing persons who have come into contact with persons infected with COVID-19.

The App is billed to come on stream later this week and would be made available on Android and iOS platforms for downloads.