Act
FOI
under
Released
Act
FOI
under
Released
OFFICIAL
13. The ENF would allow Australia to connect to a global contact tracing solution. While useful,
the expected restrictions on international travel in the short to medium-term would render this of
little use in the short to medium-term.
14. Certain users who have avoided the App may perceive that the ENF provides stronger privacy
protections though this largely decentralised, non-government-controlled model.
Cons of ENF 15. Our initial investigation has revealed that adopting the ENF will require significant technical
changes including:
• The App would need to be significantly redesigned and rebuilt. The ENF cannot
simply be embedded into the current App.
• The Health Portal would also need to be redesigned and rebuilt.
• A new Privacy Impact Assessment would need to be conducted and legislative
amendments may be needed.
• All current users would need to transition to the new App (download and re-register)
and contact data collected to date would not be transferred.Act
16. The ENF offers less device compatibility compared to our current system for Apple users. The
ENF is only compatible with iPhone 6 or later that are running iOS version 13.5 or above (iOS
13.5 was released 20 May 2020). Android users running version 6.0 or later will be able to
access the ENF, aligning with COVIDSafe operating system compatibility.
Sensitivities:
17. There is current media interest in the ENF and Australia’s position towards adopting it. While
most articles reflect our current position that we are still exploring ENF, there have been media
under FOI
articles that give the impression that the Australian Government has already decided to adopt
the ENF. Members of the privacy and security community continue to advocate for the ENF due
to the perceived privacy enhancements.
Financial Impacts: N/A
Regulatory Impacts: N/A
Released
Consultation:
18. The DTA briefed the Department of Health on the ENF to support Minister Hunt’s meeting with
Section 47F
on Thursday 21 May 2020. DTA has
engaged Health and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly on this work.
Cleared: 22 / 05 / 2020
Contact Officer:
Peter Alexander
Anthony Warnock
Chief Digital Officer
Head, Digital Infrastructure Service
Digital Delivery and Corporate Division
Digital Delivery and Corporate Division
M: Section 47F
M: Section 47F
MB20-000013
3
