The GSD says it has been advocating “comprehensive testing” and “robust contact tracing” to combat COVID for a long time. However, today the party has said that if technologies are to be relied on for contact-tracing they “must safeguard individual rights and protect civil liberties.”

A statement continue: “The Government has said that it is considering the roll-out of a contact-tracing APP in Gibraltar. The form of this, how it would work and collate or share data is crucial. The GSD favours a de-centralised approach and not one which results in any central data collation or storage by the State. At present the APP being developed for the NHS in UK would result in a centralised approach whereas the system being developed by Google/Apple would take a more de-centralised approach and result in the individual user having more control of the use and sharing of data. Google/Apple intend to allow APPs designed by public health authorities worldwide to use its system.

“At Monday’s press conference the Chief Minister said that in its discussions with Google about the contact tracing system this would likely “give us interoperability with the Spanish systems.” The Government has also said it continues in discussions with NHS on the possible use of their centralised APP. Both these statements raise more questions than answers and need explanation. We do not see why an APP designed for or used in Gibraltar needs to have interface with any Spanish system. Does it mean that there is a technological back-door to the data collated via the APP or access to it within or from Spain. Where is the data or APP hosted? We understand that Gibraltar users of the APP may come into proximity with Spanish numbers but is there no technical way of ensuring the functioning of the APP without interface with another national system? If what is meant is that it is important for Gibraltar phone users of a tracing APP to get or send information of COVID positive cases from users of another APP we understand that. But even here why should any Gibraltar phone user not receive a message from a Spanish number without there being interoperability between a Gibraltar and Spanish tracing system. There is a difference between flow of information between numbers and systems. Clarity of what is envisaged is needed.

“The possible use of a centralised system in Gibraltar should also be discounted in that it would allow the State to centralise and control the data collation. Many European countries are opting for a de-centralised approach precisely because of civil liberties concerns.

As the GRA here has itself said “Applications should adopt robust security including the use of encryption, and covering each stage of the data processing, data minimisation, transparency and user control...””

The Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi said: “Any roll-out of a Contact Tracing APP in Gibraltar should be voluntary and subject to legislative safeguards on personal freedoms. Its lifespan would have to be temporary and any data collated and then shared by which individual details are identified would have to be destroyed after the crisis is over. The process itself should be secure and encrypted. How it works should be transparent and for everyone to see and understand. It is important that this is so. While we do not doubt the role which a contact- tracing APP can play in helping control the spread of the COVID virus the way it is designed and works must also be compatible with individual freedoms.”