Why The Government Can't Use MySJ Trace To Track You!

People are worried that MySJ Trace lets the government track their location and movements 24/7.

Find out WHY this is simply not possible!

Claim : Government Can Use MySJ Trace To Track You 24/7

MySJ Trace is a new contact tracing feature that was just introduced in the MySejahtera app.

People are claiming that the government can use it to track your movements 24/7. Here is one example :

so the govt can trace our exact location at any given moment. great.

Though I guess there is probably several other apps or with the telcos help that they can already do exactly that.

Although surprisingly the police have been totally unable to locate the ex husband of Indira Gandhi or her children that the ex husband abducted, despite the court ordering the police to do so.

That’s really a typical response to any new MySejahtera feature – the government is introducing it to snoop on us. Our privacy is gone! They will know where we are!

Let’s find out what the facts really are…

Truth : No One Can Use MySJ Trace To Track You 24/7

The truth is – this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS being shared on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why it’s not possible for anyone to use it to track you 24/7…

Fact #1 : MySJ Trace Only Tracks Your Proximity

MySJ Trace does not actually detect your location, which is why you still need to check into locations manually.

It only detects and logs the Bluetooth signals of nearby smartphones with MySJ Trace enabled, to determine how close they are and how long they remain in proximity.

MySJ Trace also broadcasts itself to nearby devices, so that they can log its presence, distance and length of contact.

Fact #2 : MySJ Trace Does Not Collect Location Data

MySJ Trace does not collect geolocation data, only these data:

Unique User ID (UUID) that is created by the MySejahtera app.
Operating system version (Android or iOS)
Time of contact
Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)

The Malaysia Ministry of Health confirmed this in no. 17 of their FAQ, stating that “geolocation data will not be collected“.

So there’s no way for the government to actually know where you are using only MySJ Trace data.

Fact #3 : MySJ Trace Only Stores 14 Days Of Data

The data that MySJ Trace records is only stored for the last 14 days, on a first-in, first out (FIFO) basis.

All data older than the most recent 14 days are automatically purged.

So even if a hacker gains access to it, he/she will only have access to your proximity contact data for the last 14 days.

Fact #4 : MySJ Trace Does Not Transmit Your Data Automatically

The proximity contact data that MySJ Trace logs is NOT automatically transmitted to the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM).

Only when you are identified as COVID-19 positive, will you be asked to submit your proximity contact data for the last 14 days.

Fact #5 : MySJ Trace Data Is Stored + Used Only By KKM

Your proximity data that you upload will be stored in a secured database server managed by the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM).

Only KKM has access to your uploaded proximity data, which will be used to determine your close contacts so they can be notified.

Fact #6 : We Are Not That Interesting…

Frankly, most of us are not that interesting to the government. They are not interested in where you live or travel to, what you eat or buy, or even who you are sleeping with.

All that data is interesting and useful to corporations, but not the Malaysian government. Please remember – you are living in Malaysia, not China or North Korea.

Why would the government want to know where you are, or where you have gone, or who you have met?

Fact #7 : There Are Easier Ways To Find You…

Finally, the “fear” of the government using MySJ Trace to track where you are at all times is frankly, ludicrous because there are far easier ways to do it.

The truth is – our geolocation data is readily available to your mobile service provider, as well as cloud and social media service providers (Google, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.)

If the government really wants to know where you are, they can simply get a court order to force your mobile service provider to tell them where you are right now.

They don’t have to rely on an opt-in feature in the MySejahtera app, and wait until you submit your own proximity data…

Now that you know the facts, please TURN ON MySJ Trace, to improve contact tracing!

And please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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