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This weekly blog is to explore the news around the larger issues around Digital Health, data security, data privacy, AI / ML. technology, social media and related matters.
I will also try to highlight ADHA Propaganda when I come upon it.
Just so we keep count, the latest Notes from the ADHA Board were dated 6 December, 2018 and we have seen none since! Its pretty sad!
Note: Appearance here is not to suggest I see any credibility or value in what follows. I will leave it to the reader to decide what is worthwhile and what is not! The point is to let people know what is being said / published that I have come upon.
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‘Vaccine passports’ to combine jab records with QR check-ins for more freedoms
By David Crowe
August 21, 2021 — 5.00am
Millions of vaccinated Australians will be able to use their mobile phones to gain exemptions to lockdown rules at cafes, restaurants and public events under a national cabinet plan to use digital records to verify vaccine status.
A federal vaccine record will be combined with state check-in systems to expand the use of QR codes at public venues to be sure those who gain entry have been immunised against COVID-19.
With almost six million Australians fully vaccinated, the plans clear the way for the exemptions to begin when states and territories have vaccinated at least 70 per cent of people aged 16 and over.
Called a “vaccine passport” by some, the proposal relies mostly on the QR codes already mandated across the states and territories for people to record the places they visit so contact tracers can check on outbreaks.
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Aged care training should include digital skills
Aged care courses and employers should incorporate digital competencies into training programs to ensure new workers have the skills they need, an industry forum on technology has heard.
by Sandy Cheu August 19, 2021
A panel of experts at the ITAC August International Forum on Thursday discussed the importance a digitally enabled aged care workforce.
Aged Care Industry Workforce Council CEO Louise O’Neill said many aged care roles requiring digital skills would emerge as the sector became more digitally enabled.
“We will need to see an uplift in the way that digital skills are taught through Certificate III and Certificate IV qualifications and other qualifications across all sorts of job types,” Ms O’Neill told the ITAC August International Forum.
It may also fall to employers to do more in-house on-the-job training around digital proficiency rather than leaving it all to training organisations, she said.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/online-retailers-race-to-the-bottom-on-australians-privacy/
Online retailers ‘race to the bottom’ on privacy
Joseph
Brookes
Senior Reporter
18 August 2021
Online retailers offer no genuine competition on privacy to Australian consumers, allowing them to conduct “pervasive” and “unnecessary” data collection, a leading privacy expert has told the competition and consumer watchdog in its current investigation of ecommerce giants.
New analysis of eBay, Amazon, Catch and Kogan’s Australian privacy terms found they offer little variation in quality or competition, despite significant variance in form, including eBay’s 22,000-word privacy terms dwarfing Kogan’s 1,500-word policy.
The analysis, by UNSW senior lecturer Dr Katharine Kemp, found the “vague” and “complex” terms conceal the true data practices and intentions of online retailers, helping to minimise competition and consumer choice.
“No marketplace wishes to provide consumers with substantial privacy choices while their rivals may continue to undermine consumers’ privacy to their own advantage without detection, which makes the present situation a ‘race to the bottom’,” Dr Kemp said.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/technology-lessons-of-covidsafe-must-be-learned/
Technology lessons of COVIDSafe must be learned
Dr
Lesley Seebeck
Contributor
17 August 2021
OPINION: As the government turns its thinking to a vaccination passport or similar, it would do well to learn some of the lessons from COVIDSafe.
COVIDSafe illustrates the need for a good understanding of both policy intent and how the technology works.
Aimed at ‘help[ing] assist health officials understand and contain the spread’ of COVID-19, the app is more than a benign study assistant.
It uses people’s smartphone Bluetooth functionality as an incomplete proxy for distance between potential carriers and other people. Collected data provides an approximate, near real-time social network.
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‘A lot of people are sleepwalking into it’: the expert raising concerns over AI
It’s one of the most profound innovations of our time - and Manhattan-based Australian Kate Crawford wants us to wake up to AI’s inherent risks.
August 20, 2021
Kate Crawford, one of the world’s pre-eminent scholars on the social and political implications of artificial intelligence, is being watched. She has arrived at our meeting point outside an anonymous inner-Sydney building before me and, while she waits on the footpath, is twice questioned by people who seem to be security staff.
A woman is the first to come out of the building. Are you meeting someone here, she asks, do you have an appointment? I’m fine, Crawford replies. The woman hovers. A man emerges next. He asks Crawford if there’s anything she needs. She repeats her answer.
By the time I arrive, the staff have left her alone. Crawford, in black boots and leather jacket, directs my attention to a single bulbous black eye, a security camera, high on a wall above us. “The levels of security around this building are absolutely out of this world; let’s see if we get harassed,” she says, striding off to walk its perimeter. It’s only when we turn on to the street behind the building that it becomes clear how massive it is: looming above us is a shimmering, curved facade, perhaps 10 storeys high and stretching a city block into the distance like a beached ocean liner. “Look at that facility, that is vast,” Crawford says.
But the size of the structure is not the only indication of scale. Crawford points out white, orange and pink fluorescent hieroglyphics on the footpath: numbers and letters, lines and symbols, a secret language of the street identifying what lies beneath: gas and water pipes, power and telecommunications lines, fibre-optic cables. “This is huge amounts of data capacity, the kind of grunt for data storage and processing.”
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How will technology really help us meet our national health objectives?
By Amy Sarcevic
Friday, 30 July, 2021
Hospital + Healthcare speaks to RMIT Technology Professor Kate Fox about which up-and-coming health technologies are likely to become realities, and which are simply hype.
As a young girl, Technology Professor Kate Fox of RMIT had a technophilic fascination with the hit TV series CSI Miami.
“I was amazed by the way detectives could trace criminals from a single fingerprint, and other such sorcery,” she recalled.
Later embarking on a career in technology research, Fox quickly grew disheartened. Fingerprints could of course be used in criminal identification, but the method was far from infallible, with experts often getting the matches wrong.
This gap between science fiction and reality is also evident in health care — a sector in which Professor Fox now specialises. She believes premature media reporting may be partly to blame.
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https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b03a986a-0360-4d02-9cc8-1d56ef2d292b
A privacy quantum leap: Key takeaways from the recent OAIC decision (ignore at your peril)
Australia August 18 2021
A recent decision by the Privacy Commissioner/OAIC has removed the possibility of a ‘copy and paste, ‘one size fits all’ and ‘set and forget’ approach to privacy compliance. There is now a clear requirement to have a bespoke targeted program developed by skilled professionals which is both regularly updated to meet changing circumstances and tested. This decision has also, in an instant, made the actions of many offshore service (including technology services and Cloud) providers (service providers) subject to Australian privacy law.
Background
The Privacy Commissioner’s decision, following its Commissioner Initiated Investigation (CII) into one of the most well-known global ‘disruptor’ or ‘gig economy’ companies’ (Decision), is the most significant privacy decision in many years. Not because it is about one of the most well‑known ‘disrupter’ or ‘gig economy’ companies of our time but because it re-interprets some of the most fundamental (and often misapplied) aspects of the Privacy Act/APPs: extraterritoriality, APP 1.2, APP 11.1 and APP 11.2.
Offshore service providers (whether arm’s-length or related entities) which have no connection with Australia other than remotely providing services to entities that ‘carry on business in Australia’, beware: the Decision is a seismic shift in the extraterritorial application of Australian privacy law. For most of the entities subject to the APPs (now including many offshore service providers), your information security practices now need to be much better than before. As for ransomware attacks (and other cyber incidents), you must be prepared with a clear plan. Gone are the days when your ‘plan’ can simply be to pay the ransom and hope for the best. While we do not address the impact of the Decision on cyber incident/data breach handling and response here, our Cyber colleagues will in an upcoming article.
The Decision also confirms a change to the OAIC’s enforcement posture, building over the last 18 months, towards a “take no prisoners” approach. Both the findings and the reasoning of the Commissioner/OAIC in the Decision must be fully understood and applied by all entities ‘carrying on business in Australia’ or providing services to an entity ‘carrying on businesses in Australia’ that collect, use, hold or disclose (collectively, process) any personal information relating to Australia.
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The technology handing healthcare to the masses
By Jackson Hewett
12:00AM August 20, 2021
At a time when healthcare needs to be as widely accessible as possible, Melbourne-based business Curve Tomorrow is empowering Australia‘s top medical researchers to get best-practice ideas out onto the field.
Junior sports is already becoming one such proving ground. One of the company’s most widely used apps is a collaboration with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute to provide parents with a way to identify whether a knock on the football field could be a concussion.
HeadCheck, which takes users through a series of diagnostic questions to identify concussion symptoms and recommended courses of action, was originally targeted to worried parents at Auskick games. Now the app is being deployed by the Australian Football League to assist coaching staff at senior league games identify warning signs.
Curve Tomorrow co-founder Mohinder Jaimangal says there are countless ideas sitting in research centres that can be democratised in a similar way.
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Thursday, 19 August 2021 11:15
Businesses fall short when it comes to data privacy expectations: study
Australian businesses are not keeping up with the data privacy expectations of their customers when digitising their offering, according to a new Heart Matters study announced by SAP Southeast Asia.
The study reports that when it comes to data protection, organisations fall short of expectations by up to 50%. More than four in five (84%) consumers want transparency into how their personal data is being used, but only 34% have been shown accountability.
The study adds that the expectation among Australians is higher than the APAC average expectations of three quarters (74%).
“COVID-19 accelerated the rate at which businesses implemented digital infrastructure to continue meeting customer demands for a seamless online experience,” explains SAP customer experience Australia and New Zealand executive general manager Scott Treller.
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https://www.itwire.com/technology-regulation/e-marketing-unsubscribe-laws-clarified.html
Tuesday, 17 August 2021 17:22
E-marketing unsubscribe laws clarified
AUTHORITY NEWS: The law setting out how businesses must action unsubscribe (or ‘opt-out’) messages from consumers receiving commercial SMS and email has recently been further clarified.
Businesses must not require consumers to do either of the following:
• Provide personal information (other than the electronic address to which a marketing message was sent)
• Create or log-in to an account.
The rules are set out in the updated Spam Regulations 2021 that commenced on 1 April 2021 after being reviewed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
The ACMA is actively monitoring for indications of non-compliance. If breaches of the spam laws are found, those responsible for sending or authorising the messages may face penalties of up to $222,000 per day and/or action in the Federal Court of Australia.
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My Health Record Comes To The Aid Of Essential Workers And Those Having Prescriptions Filled - FAB FM’s Paul Makin Gets The Good Oil From Dr Steve Hambleton
August 17, 2021 ADHA Propaganda
FAB FM's Paul Makin talks to Dr Steve Hambleton about COVID-19 tests and the LATEST with 'My Health Record'. Essential workers can now get pathology results with 759,000 report views by consumers in one month alone. Electronic prescriptions can now be accessed, with the majority of Australians being able to choose an electronic prescription as an alternative to paper. Dr Steve is a General Practitioner in Brisbane, a former State and Federal President of the Australian Medical Association and serves the Digital Health Agency as the Chief Clinical Advisor to the Senior Executive Committee and CEO. www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/
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Windows 365 lifts business to cloud
5:50AM August 17, 2021
Once upon a time computers needed hardware. Now they can exist as bits of software in the cloud.
I have been trialling a Microsoft Windows 365 computer that is cloud based. The screens that this cloud computer generates on my home monitor look the same as those on any ordinary Windows 10 computer, but this is a virtual desktop.
You open a browser window, point it to windows365.microsoft.com, login and you have your cloud computer available from any internet connected on Planet Earth. You can install the Windows Remote Desktop app and get a better experience than a browser offers with Windows 365, including multiple screen support.
You might ask: why operate a Windows computer in the cloud when you use a physical computer to access it? Why not use your computer’s Windows system? You wouldn‘t be Robinson Crusoe to ask that.
This isn’t about offering home users a cloud computing alternative. Microsoft is targeting business and enterprise with a system that lets them quickly allocate work applications to staff working at home or in the field, or casual staff. Businesses equally can revoke access when no longer needed.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/govts-set-first-national-data-sharing-priorities-568644
Govts set first national data sharing priorities
By Justin Hendry on Aug 16, 2021 11:36AM
Agree to create an 'Australian Data Network'.
Australian governments will prioritise sharing data related to natural disasters and emergencies, waste and road safety under the first national data sharing work program.
Digital ministers from the Commonwealth, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and ACT governments agreed to the first work program and initial priority areas last Friday.
It comes a month after national cabinet signed off on an intergovernmental agreement, which commits all states and territories to share data between jurisdictions by default.
The default position will see governments “use best endeavours to share data between jurisdictions” for recognised purposes, granted privacy standards are met.
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Killer drones decide who lives and dies
By Toby Walsh
7:29PM August 13, 2021
Imagine a swarm of kamikaze drones, relentlessly hunting down and attacking dozens of people, without any human in control. Sounds like a bad Hollywood movie. Except it isn’t.
According to a recent report from the United Nations Security Council, such an incident took place in March 2020 during the civil war in Libya. The drones were built by Turkey, based on a consumer quadcopter that was packed with explosives and equipped with machine vision to identify, track and dive-bomb targets.
Do we want to have such machines deciding who lives and who dies?
When accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, Kofi Annan, then Secretary-General of the United Nations said, “In the twenty-first century I believe the mission of the United Nations will be defined by a new, more profound, awareness of the sanctity and dignity of every human life.”
Respecting the sanctity and dignity of every human life seems a reasonable and uncontroversial cause for the world to agree upon.
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Privacy must be protected as data plays key role in pandemic fight
Angelene Falk
10:51PM August 15, 2021
As millions of Australians remain in lockdown due to the Covid-19 Delta variant, a range of strategies and options are being debated for the future, including whether there will be a role for vaccination certificates to be used as “vaccine passports”.
Throughout the pandemic, the use of personal information has been central to the public health response, while government release of timely and accurate information has helped citizens around the world respond and support containment efforts.
Overseas, a growing number of governments are introducing a form of vaccine passport for travel and access to large gatherings and major facilities, among other uses.
In Australia, there is also discussion about the use of vaccination status to facilitate increased mobility, particularly international travel. There are suggestions that a vaccination certificate could have a role in domestic journeys, entry to large venues and events, and some businesses and workplaces.
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New laws needed to protect privacy if vaccine passports introduced
10:43PM August 15, 2021
Australia’s privacy chief has warned new legislation may be needed to protect privacy if vaccine passports are introduced.
Angelene Falk, the Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner, whose office administers the federal Privacy Act, says there needs to be a national “harmonised” approach with privacy protections built in “from the ground up”.
In her first public comments on the growing debate about individual privacy and the vaccine passports or certificates, she says: “The strongest privacy protections are those mandated by legislation and parliamentary oversight, with clear accountabilities.”
In an opinion piece in The Australian on Monday, Ms Falk writes that while large organisations and health service providers have existing obligations under the act to “respect and protect personal information”, not all employers or businesses are covered by this law. Private- sector employee records are also exempt from existing legislation.
Under the act, vaccination status is protected and individuals are under no obligation to reveal whether they have had the jab.
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https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2021/30/mental-health-grey-zones-tele-tech-offers-choices/
Mental health “grey zones”: “tele-tech” offers choices
Authored by
Matthew Zoeller Kate Blundell
THE mental health crisis is as much a systems crisis as it is a modern, behavioural human problem, with deep biological, psychological, social and existential roots.
We refer to this combined problem as the “mental health grey zones”, which denotes the various challenges encountered by each individual from the onset of dysfunctional psychological distress to complete resolution and return to functional normality or a well managed state of chronic illness.
These zones include:
- insight and recognition of the problem – encompassing education, self-awareness, culture and cognitive capacity;
- decision and commitment to seeking help – including motivation, emotional resilience, support structure, and reasons behind the decision;
- access barriers – such as geography, time, cost and stigma with regard to physically visiting a GP and/or psychologist or psychiatrist; and
- momentum on the pathway, including compliance with ongoing care requirements – such as in-session therapy and additional “at-home” work.
Currently, for most of the psychological distress present in our society, we know what works: high quality, evidence-based, psychological therapy delivered by qualified, registered mental health professionals
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‘Potential for discrimination’: Human rights body urges caution on vaccine passports
August 15, 2021 — 1.40pm
The nation’s human rights watchdog has urged state and federal governments not to impose vaccine passports unless other restrictions are removed at the same time, warning they had the potential to discriminate against vulnerable Australians.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has opened the door to the use of vaccine certificates domestically on the basis it will encourage more Australians to get vaccinated faster under national cabinet’s planned four-phase reopening of the country, but stressed it would have to be imposed by the states.
A growing number of Coalition MPs are speaking out against the use of vaccine certificates for domestic travel and attendance at venues and events, with at least two threatening to cross the floor if the government brings on legislation.
In an advisory note, the Australian Human Rights Commission said any move to impose vaccine passports or certificates should be “reasonable, necessary, and proportionate” and “must take into account the potential for discrimination”. It said groups that could be discriminated against include people who have a medical reason not to be vaccinated, individuals who seek to avoid contact with government agencies including migrants and vaccine-hesitant Australians.
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Streaming TV ad revenue growth exceeds all expectations
Miranda Ward Media writer
Aug 16, 2021 – 12.00am
Advertisers are starting to invest more into broadcast video-on-demand (BVOD), with ad revenue for the digital channel and traditional broadcast TV surging in the past six months.
According to industry body ThinkTV, BVOD platforms such as 7plus, 9Now, 10 Play, Foxtel Go, Foxtel Now and Kayo delivered revenue growth of 74.8 per cent to $145 million for the six months to June 30, with BVOD revenue for the total financial year up 63.4 per cent year-on-year to $278 million.
As audiences turn to BVOD to consume TV content, either through connected TV apps or web browsers, advertisers are looking to push more ad dollars into the medium that comes with the benefit of deep verified user data, especially as the free-to-air players build up their data offering through the use of mandatory logins, as used by Seven to recently capture those wanting to watch the Olympics.
“BVOD
continues its impressive run as Australia’s fastest-growing media
channel, with a growth rate exceeding all expectations,” ThinkTV CEO Kim
Portrate said.
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Comments more than welcome!
David.
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