“It is great news that the official Covid-19 tracer app will finally have Bluetooth tracking included in its capabilities, and New Zealanders should switch it on as soon as it becomes available,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“ACT has been campaigning for this development, which logically should improve New Zealand’s chances of reintegrating with the world.

“New Zealanders should not be concerned about the privacy implications.

“I’m a trained electrical engineer and a privacy advocate, but this is an anonymised system that keeps all users’ data on their own phones, and its rollout has been endorsed by the Privacy Commissioner.

“Only if an outbreak occurs will its utility come into force through push alerts to advise proximity to where an infected person has been, so New Zealanders should have no hesitation in saying yes when prompted by the app to switch on Bluetooth capability.”

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