COVID-safe app. current usage
Dear Department of Health,
Under FOI legislation I am requesting details of how many people still have this covid-safe app on their mobile devices.
How many notifications have been sent out on a month-by-month basis and what is the cost ratio per notification sent of this application?
Yours faithfully,
Edward Foucault
Attention: Edward Foucault
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST - NOTIFICATION OF RECEIPT AND REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME
I am writing to notify you that the Department of Health (department) received your request on 9 October 2021 for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act) being:
how many people still have this covid-safe app on their mobile devices.
How many notifications have been sent out on a month-by-month basis and what is the cost ratio per notification sent of this application?
The statutory timeframe for processing your request is 30 calendar days within which a decision on access to the requested documents is to be notified.
The department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing access to the documents. If this request attracts a charge you will be notified in writing. Unless you advise otherwise, draft and duplicate documents and Commonwealth employee names and contact details below Senior Executive Service level and mobile telephone numbers of all staff will be excluded from the scope of your request under s22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act.
Request for extension of time
As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the department is dealing with a very high volume of FOI requests. To ensure the department can process your request in accordance with the requirements of the FOI Act, including locating and providing access to all relevant documents, the department would be grateful if you would agree to an extension of 30 calendar days for processing your request. If you agree, the department will endeavour to provide a decision to you by 8 December 2021.
Next Steps
Please contact the department by 18 October 2021 with your decision to the 30 day extension of processing time.
You can contact the FOI Unit on via email at [email address], should you have any questions.
Kind regards
FOI Officer
FOI and Legislation Support Section
Legal & Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Legal Advice & Legislation Branch
Australian Government Department of Health
E: [Health request email]
GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to all Elders past and present.
If you receive this email in error, please delete it and contact the sender immediately.
Dear FOI officer,
Your request for a 30-day extension is granted.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Foucault
Dear FOI,
Seeking an update on the current provision of information following the extension of time.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Foucault
Dear Department of Health,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Health's handling of my FOI request 'COVID-safe app. current usage'.
I have yet to receive any response to this request. Please provide me with an update.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/c...
Yours faithfully,
Edward Foucault
Good morning Mr Foucault
Thank you for your email of yesterday evening.
I have reviewed your FOI request reference 3192, and note that the department did issue a decision on access on 19 November 2021.
Unfortunately, it appears that there was an error in the email address that the decision was sent to. I have attached a copy of the email for your reference, along with a copy of the department's decision.
If you are not satisfied with the department's decision, your review rights are set out on page 2 of the decision attached. As the decision was not received by you until today, the department is happy to agree to an extension of the time provided to you to seek an internal review of its decision, should you wish to do so. If you wish to seek an internal review of the decision attached, please confirm by no later than 7 July 2022, and we will take the steps necessary to undertake that review.
Please do not hesitate to contact us further at [Health request email] should you have any further queries.
With kind regards
Alison - Team Leader
Freedom of Information Unit
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Legal Advice & Legislation Branch
Australian Government Department of Health
P: 02 6289 1666 E: [Health request email]
GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to all Elders past and present.
Please note that this email and attachments may contain confidential or legally privileged information. Please consult with Legal Division before disclosing any part of this email, or attachment, outside the Department. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and contact the sender immediately
Concerned Citizen left an annotation ()
It may be helpful to break the request down in to two parts:
1. How many people are still using the app?
This can be determined by asking the department to access App Store Connect (for iOS) and the Play Store Console (for Android) to obtain reports on current active users.
2. How many people have been notified of a potential exposure using data from the app?
This may be more difficult to determine as each state/territory has access to the administrative portal where they can access a list of potentially exposed people by asking an affected person to upload data from their app.
The Commonwealth would have records about how many people have been asked to upload their data (and how many potentially exposed people are identified within the data that is uploaded) but as the states/territories are the ones who would actually notify any exposed people then you may need to ask each jurisdiction.
My understanding is that no jurisdiction is asking people to upload data anymore.