Poland is Taking the Coronavirus Pandemic Seriously

All quarantined citizens must take selfies to prove that they're home for at least 14 days

These selfies are taken on the app "Home Quarantine," which was launched earlier this month by the Polish Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji (Ministry of Digitization) and is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.



The app is mainly intended for those who have returned from abroad, but it can be required for anyone the Polish government wants to observe in quarantine. These selfies are taken on the app "Home Quarantine," which was launched earlier this month by the Polish Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji (Ministry of Digitization) and is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.The app is mainly intended for those who have returned from abroad, but it can be required for anyone the Polish government wants to observe in quarantine.

Polish Digital Ministry spokesperson, Karol Manys, told AFP:

“People in quarantine have a choice: either receive unexpected visits from the police, or download this app."





How does the Polish COVID19 quarantine app work?

The app periodically sends requests for you to upload your selfie. Facial recognition and geolocation are used to verify you are indeed home. If a selfie is not sent within 20 minutes, the police are alerted and may pay a visit to your home. Those who are found breaking quarantine can be fined up to 5,000 zloty ($1,210 USD). It has been reported that one man was recently fined 500 zloty ($120 USD) for leaving his home. Here is a preview of the app: Anyone can download the app but in order to use it, you need to be authorized by the Polish Digital Ministry. We decided to download it anyways. Upon opening the app, the home screen pops up with words "Zadbaj o siebie i swoich bliskich," which translates to "Care about yourself and those close to you." Then, the sign up process begins. You are presented with a page of terms and conditions which you must read and accept. Then, you must enter your phone number and click continue. Unfortunately, our attempt did not work.

What else can the app do?

The app also is made to help connect people with case workers, social services, and to request help or assistance with living necessities, urgent supplies, etc.

Concerns and Bad Experiences

A one-star rating was recently left on the app, complaining that the app was not functioning properly so a selfie could not be taken, resulting in a police visit. Not only is this frustrating to the public, but the polices' valuable time is wasted as well. The Polish Ministry of Digitization is working to address any issues users are experiencing with the app. Others have privacy concerns about the app. They feel sending geolocation and selfies to a government database violates their privacy rights. Who has access to this data and what can they do with it? Can it be used for other surveillance purposes? Others have different privacy concerns: What if an illegal item is accidentally in the background of a selfie? What happens then? These are real fears that we unfortunately do not have any answers to yet.

Poland's Current COVID19 Situation

As of today, 2,311 people have test positive for coronavirus in Poland, with 32 coronavirus related deaths. Poland is expecting the number of infections to significantly increase, and the government is doing everything it can to prepare.

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