Dear @Manoj or anybody else who can answer this question,
This is my first post (I’ve been reading a lot before here) although I have been using /e/ for a long time now and I really appreciate your work.
I am a little lost.
There are many threads about the topic “Exposure Notification API” here in the forum. And there are always changing statements of the team about if, and if so in which form and when the Corona Exposure Notification API will be implemented.
One statement was that it will be shipped with microg in a disabled form with v0.12. (Apparently this did not happen.) The next statement was that there has been a change of mind in the team. There should be an announcement if and in what form it would be made available. This hasn’t happened yet, as far as I’ve noticed.
For many of us this is an important and urgent issue, because for various reasons we either need or want the API.
I personally replaced /e/ with the original ROM, because I will need the API in the near future, but it is not foreseeable if and when I will have the API in /e/. I think many of us are in the situation that we need a statement about this. Can you please tell us if, how and when you want to implement it?
I know that this is an emotional topic for many of you, but I ask you not to post in this thread comments like “goolag is so evil”, “the world will end if it comes” or something like that.
It is a purely technical question to the /e/-team.
Hello and thanks for the answer.
Do you really mean October end or October 2nd?
Can you share how it will be implemented? Are there workarounds for those of us who need it before (if you mean end of October)? Like making microg updateable through f-droid or so?
It will be implemented by October end. Details of the implementation will be shared later as we are still testing it. System apps like microg cannot be upgraded through f-droid.
Thanks for the clarification.
While I have to say that I am disappointed with the answer itself, at least now I know that it makes no sense for me to wait at least a month for the implementation in /e/ while the infection numbers are rising and rising.
In the current situation I will return to the original ROM for the time being.
Sorry to say: but this is a problem for me too. I live in Belgium (red zone!) and I would like to be warned as soon as possible. So: byebye /e/ - hope I’ll see you again soon and healthy!
Add another disappointed voice. I think blocking a covid tracking app is the wrong side of history to be on.
There were other options, /e/ could have temporarily released alternative upgrade roms with the updated MicroG for people who wanted it, and left people who don’t want it with the regular rom. Presumably they could have released a flashable upgrade package for those that wanted it as another option. Instead we have a delay until end of October and some uncertainty which countries covid tracking apps will work with it even then.
I can only assume at least some of the /e/ team are in the “It’s just the flu lol” group think. Sad.
It’s possible to care about covid risk, wearing mask to be efficient, washing hands, being ‘paranoid’ to respect aseptic rules as much as possible AND think that an app won’t save us in any manner. That’s not enough to be said a criminal…
Keep cool
More seriously: if a googled API doesn’t work well in an ungoogled ROM, it is possible to went back to stock. And to ask yourself why you wanted first an ungoogled ROM and accept now a deep tracking tracing…
I gave two options that would have enabled the paranoid to carry on with the “regular rom”. Apparently /e/ doesn’t think they are worth the resources required.
No an app won’t “save us” but some people view it as better than no app.
Sure I’d love it if the world had found an “un-googled” way of making a contact tracing app, but as far as I can tell the tracking built for this purpose appears to be as anonymous as possible. The UK wanted and spent £££ on developing an app they could centrally trace, but had to give up on it to use this option instead.
If you can show me how this bluetooth token based contact tracking is “deep tracing”. Then please. Go ahead. The world would love to know about it.
In the meantime, producing a rom that could easily support covid tracking apps for those that want it (stock microG has supported this for quite a while now), but choosing not to appears to be on the wrong side of history, and I can’t think of a way to explain it other than “it’s just the flu bro” mentality.
Sorry, I’ve already post a few links, but my main sources are French and scattered.
And I’m waiting too for proofs that covid-API can’t ever be used to improve interpersonal tracking.
Furthermore, in the wonderful world of FOSS, in fact the dev is always right, because he does the job. You agree or disagree, if you can’t do it by yourself, you must wait. You can also give advice, for sure, but charges are always counterproductive.
I’m using /e/ because there is no tracking and my privacy is protected. I’m trusting it, because ist’s open source. I don’t want corona tracing. I’m not afraid because of corona. But I’m concerned about my privacy, my freedom. For me, freedom is the highest good i can have. So, if you want tracking, you can use whatever i-phone you want. But respect that there are others who don’t want this. Never. If this option would become implemented, i hope it can be completely deactivated.
Great now my email is being spammed again with people spreading FUD against this well documented API insisting it ruins their privacy despite all the research and papers and the ability to read the microG implementation to see it does not upload any data anywhere.
And that all despite the OP explicitly asking to not have this whole discussion again.
I’m muting this topic just… THE API DOES NOTHING UNLESS YOU INSTALL AN APP THAT USES IT AND YOU CAN DISABLE IT IN MICROG. The “concerns” of you FUD-spreaders have already been taken care of, now just let us who want to have this very well designed anonymous way of knowing if you were near someone with COVID have it. Several people I know died to this horrible disease, I don’t care if you’re not afraid or whatever, let those who want it protect ourselves against it.
No, what you have done is sharing a link that describes a well known weakness of the API for which 1. it has to be turned on and 2. that doesn’t even work on all phones and 3. You have to trace breadcrumbs by being in Bluetooth range of your victim.
The fact they found this weakness and no other, is actually reassuring. The code HAS been scrutinized and THIS is what they found.
So no, nice try, but the burden of proof is on you. I fact shifting the burden of proof is a logical fallacy that is often used by religious people. “Well, show us there is NO god”. No. If you claim something outlandish and against all prior information, if you say, an inactive bunch of lines of code (it can be turned off) are dangerous to privacy, then you need to show, your claim is true. And you haven’t done that. Not for the Google/Apple API and much less for the microG implementation. I did learn more about Google from your sources. I did not learn more about the API.
I am with @Hawthorn here. There were possibilities, it wasn’t a priority and this does not shine a good light. At least for most people, who just want to use these apps to protect themselves and others.
I’d already claimed a ‘procès d’intention’. I’m not the only one wich doubt with gglle/pple spontaneous claim about ‘Privacy’ nor ‘Security’. For example:
I’m not engineer, I read here and there, and definitively I don’t trust in gg’s leniency.
Don’t worry, I fixed it. Installed Lineage from here. Works fine on FP3, and the “with-MicroG” option lets you update to the most recent version with no troubles. UK Covid app works fine. Farewell my libertarian /e/ friends, but I’ll leave you with this. Even with a “dumb phone”, no apps, no google installed. If it has a sim card and a battery in it you can be identified and geo-located with simple cell tower triangulation, and also that “My freedom” always without fail means restricting someone else’s freedom.
Tested it with MicroG most recent version in /e/, Lineage OS, Fairphone Open, and it doesn’t work. MicroG cannot find the App and the App cannot find MicroG. Left Android for Linux mobile today, essential applications don’t work in free Android versions without G00gl Goolag, so why Android? Makes no sense to use Android if you want privacy.
I was able to upgrade to the current version microG Services Core version 0.2.12.203315 by manually. So now StopCovid France also works on a /e/ OS 9-Pie ROM.
SwissCovid Corona-Warning-App works with /e/ OS e-0.12-o and microG Services Core 0.2.12.203315
Hi @frank.bxl,
I gather from your “About me” that you describe themselves as technically adept. So it will not be difficult for you to upgrade manually.
I could not test my workaround on a Fairphone 3. Which devices should the microG Upgarde be for?
