Hongkongers React to Mandatory Tracing App

People using the app on their smartphones at govt buildings

As expected, the first day of making the Leave Home Safe app mandatory in many government buildings including wet markets, libraries, swimming pools did not go as smoothly as expected.

Even a man who had fallen, bloodied his head and rushed to emergency, had to use the app in order to enter the hospital.

And in a show of force, five people who work at Immigration Tower in Wan Chai were arrested for using a fake app. Two were immigration officers, one a member of staff at the Audit Commission and two contractors.

An injured man had to use app to go to hospital

And these people are working for the government...

Meanwhile for ordinary folk, this morning there were lots of people in front of the entrance of the Pei Ho Street Market in Sham Shui Po as many elderly people sought the help of others in installing or using the contact-tracing app.

One shopper, surnamed Wong, resorted to buying a new smartphone to use the app.

"It is too troublesome to fill in a form every time you enter a venue. I had no choice but to buy a new phone," said the 60-year-old.

The media also discovered there weren't enough security guards at all the wet market entrances to enforce use of the app so many snuck in without scanning the QR code.

At Sha Tin Public Library, people moaned about using the app.

"It's convenient for some of us, but not convenient for elderly people who don't have a smartphone... To be honest, many jobless people don't have a phone. What can they do?" asked a man surnamed Ng.

A woman who gave her name as Jenny said she had planned to go to the library but was not willing to use the app to go in.

"Since they require me to scan the QR code, I decided not to enter," she said.

A housewife surnamed Chan said she had been turned away from the Lok Fu Post Office because she didn't have a smartphone.

"It's disruptive. I don't understand why they have to do this. I just want to send some mail. It's unfair to those of us who don't have the app."

There is a big market for second-hand phones

It is evident there is a lot of mistrust of the government and why it is so anxious for residents to use the app.

If that wasn't enough, pro-establishment politicians, in a bid to show their patriotism, have suggested the government enforce using the app in other places too. Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun believes diners of B-type restaurants (four to a table and open until 10pm) will be forced to use the app by mid-November. 

And the University of Hong Kong's health expert Dr Ho Pak-leung, expects supermarkets and shopping malls will adopt the Leave Home Safe app as well. Currently the QR code is at the entrances but no one scans it.

If that wasn't enough, pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po's editorial said the government should proactively stop people from buying a spare phone specifically for the Leave Home Safe app as a passive tactic against the authorities.

But that only fueled the market for second-hand or cheap smartphones today. People flocked to second-hand electronic stores in places like Mongkok and Sham Shui Po to snap up phones that cost HK$800 (US$102). Most of the buyers were elderly people, according to salesmen.

Tien suggests using app in type B restaurants

"I installed [the app] for the elderly people if they didn't know how to... Some people really don't know how to use a smartphone, just like the customer I served just now. She has never used a smartphone," a seller surnamed Chan said.

This exact scenario was played out back in February when the government pushed residents to use the Leave Home Safe app. Lots of people rushed out to buy cheap smartphones just to use the app. And now it's happening again as it is becoming mandatory in so many places.

They are all buying a second phone for the same reason -- distrust of the government and a belief that the authorities will use the app to scan people's phones to extract personal data.

It's amusing how far each side will go -- the residents versus the government -- in trying to be one step ahead.

But for sure the government will keep pressing people to scan the app wherever they go, again in a bid to make Beijing happy. Because our fearless leader has one goal -- to open the border -- and she will do whatever it takes to get there.

Forcing HK Residents to use Contact-Tracing App

NGOs are giving some donated smartphones to homeless

Starting November 1, the Hong Kong government will make it mandatory for anyone entering a government building, facility, wet market, swimming pool, library and post office to use the Leave Home Safe app in a bid to strengthen contract tracing, even though there are zero local cases for the past 23 consecutive days.

It has forced many, who up until this point, have filled out their details on slips of paper, to either finally download the app on their phone or get a second phone just for this exercise.

Chua hopes govt will be more lenient to people

However, there are still many, particularly the homeless who have no access to smartphones and the NGOs assisting them have asked the government for leniency for this group of people.

"I hope government departments will be lenient, understand people's needs and give them alternatives, like leaving their contact details so they would not be scared off and avoid visiting clinics or the government's social service offices," said Chua Hoi-wai, chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

He hoped there would still be slips of paper available for them to leave their contact details. Chua added some NGOs have handed out donated second-hand smartphones with the app installed to low-income residents and taught them how to use it. 

App must be used in all govt buildings

"We also hope the government will work with us to provide cheaper or second-hand phones to those who have the ability to use but merely cannot afford them," he said during a radio program.

During the same program, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said officials will be lenient at first, but residents should be cooperative in using the app. He added the administration was aware of vulnerable groups that may not have access to smartphones and was making an effort to take that reality into account.

"For those who do not have access to smartphones, they will be asked to leave their personal details. They will be asked to show their identity card and have their names, part of their ID number and contact details jotted down to ensure accuracy," Nip said.

"We understand there will be difficulties when it's first implemented. Our colleagues, based on actual circumstances, will be lenient at first, but we also hope everyone will be cooperative."

He said the number of QR code signs will be increased outside of markets to avoid long queues forming.

Nip says officials will be lenient at first

Does the Leave Home Safe app really work? Hard to tell since we haven't had any recent outbreaks  in the community, and there are many flaws with the app, including not having to register a name due to privacy issues, and not every shop or mall insisted on people scanning the code.

So it seems more of an exercise to tick off the boxes than really helping with contact-tracing...

Government App Creates Digital Divide

Government is enforcing the use of Leave Home Safe app

The Hong Kong government is desperately thinking of ways to please Beijing in order to lift the border, and the latest move is to make anyone who wants to enter a government building use the Leave Home Safe app from November 1.

That means barring them from concert venues, libraries, sports facilities, government buildings and museums. It's not clear if this will also extend to public washrooms and wet markets.

The app logs in places the user has been to

While there are some people who refuse to download the app for various reasons that range from distrust of the government to not believing in the app's effectiveness, others simply don't have a smartphone, and so they can't use the app to scan a QR code to check in and check out of any building, restaurant, hotel, shop and so on.

But NGOs are particularly concerned for those in the low-income bracket who can't afford to have a smartphone, and as a result will not be able to access the services they need.

Anne Sit Kim-ping of the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), said she feared the homeless, who relied on freely available public facilities such as libraries and sports centres, would now be unable to enter, given that many did not own a smartphone.

The homeless also often sought help in processing aid documents from various government offices, including the Social Welfare Department, Home Affairs Department, and judicial buildings. 

"We are concerned that homeless people will find it very difficult to look for help when this new requirement sets in," she said.

Those who don't have the app can't access libraries

"During the summer months, public libraries are one of the few places where homeless people stay indoors during the day. Street sleepers also use free public access to sports centres to refill water bottles or take a simple shower."

According to government figures, the number of registered homeless people in Hong Kong rose to a record high at the end of June to 1,562, compared to 787 in 2014. The numbers of unregistered homeless people is probably even higher.

Sit estimated just 10 to 20 percent of homeless people the NGO worked with owned a working smartphone, adding that charities typically lent only basic phones that didn't have the capability to support mobile apps.

Up until now people who do not use the Leave Home Safe app in government buildings had the option of filling out their contact details on a paper form. But from November 1 that will not be available.

They won't be able to go into museums either

There are exemptions for those under 12 and over 65 years of age, and the disabled who cannot use the app. They will need to fill out their names, the first four digits of their ID cards and the date and time of their visit.

By scanning the QR code, the Leave Home Safe app logs all the places the person has been including the date and time. When someone test positive and was in the same location at the same time, they are supposed to be alerted to get tested right away.

However, by making everyone use the app, that immediately creates a digital divide for the haves and have-nots, people Sit is referring to who not only need access to government departments, but also use basic facilities. By not having a smartphone, these underprivileged people will be shut out even further from society and their dignity more profoundly affected.

Obviously the government has not thought about these people, and a solution needs to be found. Quick.

Picture of the Day: Taxi Commendation Scheme

Good taxi driver? Take down all his info first

 

Yesterday afternoon I flagged down a taxi on Staunton Street near Tai Kwun in Central. At first the driver asked where I was going as he was a Kowloon taxi and needed to return the car, but agreed to take me in.

After a while I noticed in front of me was this sign: "Taxi Service Commendation Scheme", asking riders to scan the QR code and recommend your driver.

The nomination period already began on July 15 and goes on until September 30, and then the voting period is from October 22 to December 17.

When you scan the QR code, you have to enter the driver's name, mobile number, the taxi registration number and the license plate, when and where you got the ride from, and a section called "experience sharing" to add any other additional comments.

The form is exhausting to say the least, and what's the point?

Most people are not going to pay attention to fill out all these details and even the driver's mobile number? Obviously the people creating the form have not thought of the reality of having to fill it out.

And when do you fill it out? When a driver returns your smartphone to you or gets you across the harbour in 10 minutes?

We understand the taxi industry is trying hard to improve its services in its competition with car hailing apps like Uber, but this "Taxi Service Commendation Scheme" is not going to make drivers stop smoking in their vehicles, clean them better or have a sunnier attitude.

Though I have to say this driver had an Octopus reader and just as we were nearing my destination I asked if I could pay my ride with Octopus.

"You should have told me earlier," the driver replied with a surly attitude, turning it on.

He saved me the time and effort from having to fill out the form...

 

Film Review: Minari

Minari is about a Korean family making a new life in the US

 

When was the last time I saw a film? 

I saw a short documentary back in mid-November, but the last time I saw a film was probably about a year ago.

The 45th Hong Kong International Film Festival kicked off yesterday but not without controversy. 

Where the Wind Blows was pulled last minute

The opening film was supposed to be Where the Wind Blows and was pulled at the last minute by the film's owner for "technical reasons", a euphemism in China for censorship.

Starring Aaron Kwok Fu-shing and Leung Chiu-wai, Where the Wind Blows is about two resourceful detectives who forge dangerous alliances with organized crime in 1960s Hong Kong. 

As it is a joint production between a Hong Kong and Chinese companies, the film may not have received the proper approval on the mainland, or perhaps the subject matter was too sensitive with the portrayal of the police.

In any event, I watched Minari, the Golden Globe winner for foreign film (because the film is half in Korean and half in English) this afternoon at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre's Grand Theatre. 

Alan Kim plays David in Minari

Every person who entered the Cultural Centre building had to either scan the QR code on the LeaveHomeSafe app or leave their contact details at the door, and everyone had to wear a mask, no consuming drinks or food inside.

Then inside the theatre, several seats were blocked off here and there where people could not sit. 

Minari is about a young Korean immigrant family that moves from California to Arkansas, the father Jacob played by Steven Yeun, is determined to make something of himself. 

He buys a plot of land with a trailer home with the intention of growing Korean vegetables, but his wife Monica (Han Ye-ri) is hardly impressed, and tensions flare up between the two.

Then there is the sub plot of the adorable son David (Alan Kim) and older sister Anne (Noel Kate Cho) who desperately want their parents to stop arguing.

Youn is a very famous actress in Korea

When their maternal grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) comes to visit, there's some comic relief, but also three generations of cultural differences are revealed that make the film endearing.

Director Lee Isaac Chung wrote Minari based on his own parents coming to the United States to make a new life for themselves.

In an interview with Time magazine, Chung says: "When my dad was in junior high, all these American films started to be introduced into Korea for the first time. My dad started to watch westerns at dollar cinemas in Seoul and felt like America was a miraculous place. 

"His family had lost a lot of land during the Korean War and the Japanese occupation. That affected him a lot as a kid. He always felt like he needed to come to the US and get land. It's an old Hollywood pioneer story he was working on."

Chung with his daughter during Golden Globes

For many immigrant children the story in Minari resonates deeply, the heated arguments about sacrifice and money, how to raise Asian children in the west, and feelings of isolation. 

The film has been nominated for six Academy Awards this year and hopes are high it will win big following the momentum of Parasite!

Creatively Circumventing the Govt App

Dining in restaurants requires scanning the QR code

 

Finally today's the day! People were so thrilled to have dinner in a restaurant tonight, though others still preferred takeaway. 

Walking along the waterfront tonight I could see Caprice, the three Michelin-starred French restaurant in the Four Seasons Hong Kong had guests seated by the windows, though at the same time by the ferry piers, many people carried plastic bags with their meals inside.

Lam scans the QR code before entering

Some were thrilled to finally go to the gym, another activity to do after having completed several of the hiking trails since November.

Meanwhile electronic shops were doing a brisk business these few days, some selling new phones, others "burner phones", or second-hand ones for people to use just for the LeaveHomeSafe app that must be used starting today if eating in a restaurant, going to the gym, and many other places.

"I'm buying a burner phone because the government clearly doesn't trust Hongkongers, so why would I trust them?" Vincent, 28, an accountant who gave only his first name because of the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters.

Many had the same sentiment, as people flocked to places like Sham Shui Po to buy cheap electronic equipment.

People flock to Sham Shui Po for cheap phones

"People are just looking for a cheap smartphone that can run the LeaveHomeSafe app," said a vendor surnamed Wong. She reported selling 50 phones in the past week compared to the usual 10 or so the week previously.

Anecdotally a relative reported seeing more people writing down contact details than scanning the QR code, in a protest of fears the government could see their private information from the contact-tracing app on their phones.

Some planned to write their contact details as "Carrie Lam", referring to Hong Kong's chief executive, and then leave a fake phone number.

While this may seem amusing, the government may not take the joke, and may instead enforce people to use the QR code, perhaps with penalties attached, as contact tracing during a pandemic is a serious public health issue.

An employee in Choi Wan Estate was assaulted

And putting the onus on the business to ensure people scan the app isn't going down well -- a McDonald's employee in Choi Wan Estate suffered injuries after he was assaulted by a man in his 20s or 30s with his phone after refusing to use the LeaveHomeSafe app.

Restaurant industry leaders had expressed concerns altercations could happen between employees and guests if they did not comply to either scanning the QR code or writing down their details.

And already the first incident happened on the first day...

 

HK Govt Wants to Track Your Movements

Hong Kong only tested 1.78 million people in universal testing

 

Hong Kong recorded 84 new coronavirus cases today, and in the last few days there are stories trickling out about a freelance Chinese food writer who went to at least one tasting this week before testing positive, and a three-Michelin starred Italian restaurant having two staff who were also infected, and a hipster food hall in Central has another case.

While the government is mulling making residents download an app to scan QR codes wherever they go in a bid to make it easier to track down possible closer contacts, people may not comply because they have lost faith in Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her administration.

Scanning QR codes may become mandatory

Many businesses have already put up the QR code at their entrances, but I have yet to see anyone scan the code to check-in, and check-out. However it would be possible for the government to make scanning the QR code mandatory to enter the premises, much like temperature checks.

As for people who don't even own smartphones... what are they going to do?

Meanwhile the pro-establishment camp is anxious to reopen the border between Hong Kong and the mainland, which means aiming for the zero infection number Lam mentioned this past week in her policy address.

They are pushing for universal testing, but interesting that Lam disagrees, saying since it took two weeks to test 1.78 million people, then surely it would take four to five weeks to test the entire population, and the entire city would have to be in lockdown during that period.

"Hong Kong will have to pay a very heavy price," she said, adding her estimation had no scientific basis.

Lam says test high-risk groups like dance clubs

She is following the advice of infectious disease experts who have advocated testing high-risk groups, like the current dance club cluster, and senior government officials.

Lam also didn't want to push for universal testing, saying that the past year of anti-government protests triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, had made her work to combat the pandemic even harder as some people had lost trust in the government.

Hmmm... now whose fault is that? She could have tried to address this very issue in her policy address but refused to even try to resolve the impasse with at least an independent inquiry into police brutality.

The chief executive seems to build herself up as a martyr. When I brought up her saying she was paid in cash and was just asking for a thief to rob her, a relative pointed out Lam was keen on making others take pity on her...

Race Day Countdown

Getting runners excited about the upcoming race on Sunday

The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon is in its 23rd year and the race will be held this Sunday.

Having been sick for the past month, I'm not exactly in tip top shape for the 10K, but I have decided to do my best. These last few days I have managed to do some decent training and pleased that I've done OK.

There is one giant loop to get T-shirts...

This year there have been some changes in how participants pick up their T-shirts and running bib and after this event is over, there's going to be a barrage of complaints.

While participants are able to pick up the T-shirt and bib number on any of the four days starting yesterday until Saturday, there's been chaos in figuring out what is going on.

It turns out runners pick up the bib number along with their coloured bag depending on their race and time in one place, and then their T-shirt on the grass pitch in Victoria Park.

I was confused and got into a line and then soon realized it was for the T-shirts when I hadn't even gotten my bib number yet. Luckily the line wasn't too bad, but like everyone else, was wondering why couldn't we get the T-shirt in the same place too like we used to?

After I got my running bib, then I had to join the line I had mistakenly gone to in order to get onto the grass pitch to pick up my T-shirt. There was a massive backlog and at one point the entire walkway was covered in several lines weaving back and forth.

Eventually I finally made it to the grass pitch and then it was separated between men and women and from there I got the T-shirt in minutes. Why did it take so long? It just seemed so strange to have to line up twice.

... and there was a mass of people closer to the grass pitch

Also this year there was no paper notice mailed to us to pick up the running kit -- it was all done online in the hopes of wasting less paper, but I saw many people print out the email with a giant QR code... kind of defeating the purpose of trying to reduce paper usage.

Another feature for 2019 is that the bibs have our names on them. Whoohoo... organizers thought this would help people on the sidelines to cheer for us. But for the 10K run, hardly any spectators are allowed except towards the finish at Victoria Park... oh well.

Now that I've gone through the effort (and frustration) of getting my bib number and T-shirt, I guess I will be running on Sunday!

China's Modern Mobile Payments

The vendor or the buyer scans the QR code to pay for items and services

When I lived in Beijing back in 2007, QQ was the way people communicated, and in our office we used Microsoft Messenger. People would send SMS messages via their mobile phones, and everything had to be paid in person. With cash.

I had to carry bundles of cash with me, particularly on pay day and it was a bit nerve-wracking carrying around stacks of 100 kuai bank notes around.

Less than 10 years later hardly anyone carries cash now.

On WeChat, people can split a bill

With smartphones, people use Weixin or WeChat to not only communicate with friends and associates much like people outside of China use Whatsapp, but they also use WeChat for all kinds of things, particularly payments.

The payment app is linked to their bank accounts and acts like a debit card. When you want to pay for something, from a snack at a roadside stall to a department store, you pull up the Wexin payment app and scan the vendor's QR code and presto -- the amount you paid for has been transferred electronically from your bank account to the vendor's.

If there are several people eating together in a restaurant and then want to split the bill, it can easily be done by the WeChat app too.

And if you need to call a taxi, WeChat can help you with that too. There used to be a plethora of taxis on the road, but nowadays the government is trying to take some taxis off the road by banning those who don't have a Beijing hukou from driving within the city limits.

So WeChat can help you either call a taxi or an Uber-like service called Didi Chuxing (used to be called Didi Kuai). A few times my friends had to help me call a taxi because it's virtually impossible to hail them down late at night.

There's a higher chance of getting a taxi on the WeChat app

It functions much like Uber where you tell them your destination and through GPS the driver is able to locate you. The payment is made automatically at the end of the trip and you can rate the driver.

Though you could use a hei che or "black car", known by the vertical red lights hanging from the top of the windshield.

With this form of transport, you need to bargain beforehand with the driver (which could be tedious), and some of my female friends don't trust these drivers.

Nevertheless, you could probably pay them by WeChat which would still be convenient.

So people in Beijing are pretty much cashless these days. Even trying to use a credit card can be an ordeal.

However, the only drawback of using WeChat for payments is that it depends on how good the wifi is where you are paying. My friend bought a dress in a small boutique in Andingmen tried to pay via WeChat, but the transaction didn't go through unless they stood just outside the shop to get a stronger internet signal.

WeChat seems more popular than Alipay, which may have been late to the game, or isn't as convenient in terms of its functions.

In any event, it's quite amazing to see how China has practically leapfrogged over us in Hong Kong when it comes to electronic payments and it makes you wonder why we haven't thought of doing something like this ages ago.

Beware the QR Code

You can buy supermarket items just by scanning the QR codes on your phone

China seemed to be far ahead of Hong Kong in terms of using QR codes for mobile transactions. Even food stalls have QR codes to make it easier to make payments via smartphones to buy something as simple as a roasted sweet potato.

But now there are concerns some QR codes, which stands for quick response codes, are easy faked with a different code with malevolent software to make it easy for fraudsters to get access to your bank account.

Consumers can also buy street food by scanning the QR code

There has been a spate of scams regarding QR codes on the mainland, which has led to calls for the government do more to protect consumers.

The problem is that the QR codes are so hard to tell if they are fake by the human eye, which makes it easier for cybercriminals to take advantage of the situation -- and legitimate businesses lose money because the payments never reach them.

Liu Qingfeng, a senior Chinese official and technology expert, says almost one-quarter of Trojans -- malicious programs disguised as benign software -- and other viruses are transmitted through QR codes.

"Currently over 23 percent of Trojans and viruses are transmitted via QR codes," he said at the recent National People's Congress in Beijing. "The [difficulty] threshold to make QR codes is so low that fraudsters could implant Trojans and viruses into a QR code very easily," Liu said.

"On the other hand, consumers cannot verify the authenticity of QR codes by eye and are therefore prone to be deceived if criminals paste their fake code over the original one."

A woman rents a bike by paying through the QR code

Liu is calling for regulators to tighten their oversight of QR codes by bringing them under the National Security Law.

He added that although QR codes have helped increase consumption, the possibility of fake codes has deterred others from using this otherwise payment method.

With an almost 25 percent chance of this happening on a daily basis, surely this has put off some people from scanning QR codes. Hopefully it doesn't make too much of an impact on small vendors, as this kind of payment system has definitely helped them generate revenue in a convenient high-tech way.