A MESSAGE BEING shared widely on social media that purports to be from an app designed to help track the spread of Covid-19 is fake.

The message says that the government is aware the user is more than 20km from their home address and must explain why.

It originated in Australia, where it has already been debunked, but is being widely shared in Ireland.

A popular Facebook post incorrectly claims that similar tracking measures will be introduced by the Irish government by next week.

Earlier this week, the Australian government launched COVIDSafe, an app that contacts people who have been exposed to Covid-19.

The app speeds up the process of finding people who have been in close contact with someone with Covid-19, meaning people will be contacted more quickly if they are at risk – helping them reduce their chances of passing on the virus.

About two million people downloaded the app within 24 hours, and false messages purporting to be from it quickly started to circulate.

One message in particular has been widely shared in Australia and beyond. It states: “The COVIDSafe App has detected you are now +20km from your nominated home address.

“Please register your reason for travel … within 15 minutes of receiving this SMS.”

The text message, which includes a phone number for people to call, was quickly dismissed as fake by the Australian government.

A Department of Health spokesperson told AAP FactCheck it is “abhorrent” that scammers would try to deceive people in this way.

“The COVIDSafe App does not have any geolocation capability, it does not track your location, only the proximity of your phone to other people’s phones that have downloaded the app.

“It cannot monitor a person’s location at any time.

“The app does not register a person’s home address and it does not share or send any information with anyone, until authorised by the user, if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and then only to state and territory health officials involved in contact tracing,” a statement noted.

Restrictions in Ireland 

A spokesperson for the Irish government confirmed to TheJournal.ie that the message is false and there are no plans to introduce this type of tracking in Ireland.

They said: “We are aware of the circulation of information through messaging apps and social media regarding the enforcement of restrictions. This information has not come from government or official sources.”

The spokesperson added that decisions on Covid-19 restrictions and related measures “will be made as appropriate following public health advice, and will be communicated to the public and media through official channels”.

They advised members of the public to get “accurate information and updates” from gov.ie/covid, hse.ie and the Merrion Street social media pages.

An app to track the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland and help the contact-tracing process here is being developed for the HSE by Waterford-based company Nearform. It is expected to be available next month.

When asked about privacy concerns people may have in relation to the app, HSE CEO Paul Reid today told reporters that health officials are “working through detailed discussions with the Data Protection Commissioner in terms of usage of [the app] and what’s stored on the phone – what data we use and what data we don’t use”.

Reid added that the app will be opt-in and support, rather than replace, current contact-tracing processes.

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There is a lot of false news and scaremongering being spread in Ireland at the moment about coronavirus. Here are some practical ways for you to assess whether the messages that you’re seeing – especially on WhatsApp – are true or not. 

STOP, THINK AND CHECK

Look at where it’s coming from. Is it someone you know? Do they have a source for the information (e.g. the HSE website) or are they just saying that the information comes from someone they know? A lot of the false news being spread right now is from people claiming that messages from ‘a friend’ of theirs. Have a look yourself – do a quick Google search and see if the information is being reported elsewhere. 

Secondly, get the whole story, not just a headline. A lot of these messages have got vague information (“all the doctors at this hospital are panicking”) and don’t mention specific details. This is often – but not always a sign – that it may not be accurate. 

Finally, see how you feel after reading it. A lot of these false messages are designed to make people feel panicked. They’re deliberately manipulating your feelings to make you more likely to share it. If you feel panicked after reading something, check it out and see if it really is true.

TheJournal.ie’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here. For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader’s Guide here. You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here

Have you gotten a message on WhatsApp or Facebook or Twitter about coronavirus that you’re not sure about and want us to check it out? Message or mail us and we’ll look into debunking it. WhatsApp: 085 221 4696 or Email: answers@thejournal.ie