Albanese government kills COVIDSafe app, calling it a 'colossal waste' of money

The Albanese authorities has scrapped the COVIDSafe app after it lay dormant for nearly two years.

Well being minister Mark Butler launched an announcement claiming his authorities has "acted to delete the wasteful and ineffective" app.

The COVIDSafe app was launched throughout the first wave of the pandemic in 2020 by the Morrison authorities with hopes it may contact hint shut contacts.

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The COVIDSafe App - as soon as touted as vital for all residents - is being decommissioned.(Provided)

In April 2020, former prime minister Scott Morrison described the app as "Australia's ticket to a COVIDSafe Australia".

Nevertheless, after the app launched issues have been raised about its privateness, safety and effectiveness.

Butler claims the app has price taxpayers greater than $21 million whereas it lay unused for the higher a part of two years.

"This failed app price taxpayers greater than $10 million in creating the app, an additional $7 million on promoting and advertising and marketing, $2.1 million on maintenance and greater than $2 million on employees," Butler mentioned.

"The failed app was a colossal waste of greater than $21 million of taxpayer's cash."

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The brand new authorities has scrapped the COVIDSafe app.(Alex Ellinghausen/Sydney Morning Herald)

Not solely did it price taxpayers a big quantity over its two-year length, however Butler additionally claimed the app did not do what it was meant to - determine COVID-19 instances and shut contacts.

"Because it was launched in April 2020 solely two constructive COVID-19 instances have been recognized via the app, which weren't discovered by guide contact tracers," Butler mentioned.

"The app solely recognized 17 shut contacts that hadn't already been recognized via guide contact tracing."

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Minister for Well being and Aged Care Mark Butler mentioned the app was a waste of taxpayer's cash.(The Sydney Morning Herald)

Butler mentioned there have been 7.9 million registrations on the app between April 2020 and Might 2022 however fewer than 800 registrants consented to the federal government utilizing their knowledge for contact tracing.

Now that the app has been scrapped the well being division will now not gather knowledge from it and it is going to be faraway from app shops.

"The Division is working to delete all COVIDSafe app knowledge as quickly as attainable, and no COVIDSafe app knowledge shall be retained," the assertion mentioned.

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