Possibility of using Ethereum for data tracking

[baref00t-au]

Hi,

Here is couple of thoughts, more like questions.

It seems Ethereum to be a perfect platform for this project. Creating dApp to collect user consent using smart contract to access user location history for 14 days. The app would allow users to change (self report) on these three statuses (negative, being tested, positive) and track their location. The smart contract would execute X days after WHO (World health organisation) would declare covid19 no longer pandemic and delete related data.

I don't know whether this is possible on Ethereum and also building an Android or iOS app but the whole concept of Ethereum seems like a perfect fit. I know there are challenges, but users could sign up to get an alert if someone in the proximity tested positive. The biggest challenge is that we don't even know where are the hot spots.

I am not sure how difficult is to analyse 5 (or more) days of location data and match them against other user location data and then notify them about close proximity. Even if the alerts are not done, just displaying hotspots is worthwhile.

[karalabe]

It seems Ethereum to be a perfect platform for this project.

I'm almost certain Ethereum is not a feasible idea here. In Ethereum currently everything is public, which means it's a no-go. Sure, some day you might find a good privacy solution, but I'm unaware of such existing today. The throughput is way too low for critical mass and tx fees make is again unrealistic if we want to get most people to use it.

The approach I'm taking here is for building a P2P network on top of Tor. Only mutually-approved friends can communicate directly (they know each other's onion addresses after pairing). I've compiled some approach ideas in coronanet/rn-coronanet#1 (comment), also explaining how proximity could work one way. There are other ideas too, but the challenge is to do it without making your indfos public, or even sharing it with a trusted 3rd party.

[baref00t-au]

Thanks for the comment, I am more referring to using Ethereum for user consent (one smart contract) only to allow location tracking (data). Therefore any data collected can only be available while smart contract is valid (until WHO covid19 status is pandemic).

The key here is to allow users to make their location history available to community to make sure other people can benefit from if covid is positively tested or being tested. Currently is the decision and data with Google, Facebook or Apple. They potentially face many other challenges to be able to use the information. Research suggest it take anywhere from 2 - 14 days for symptoms, average 5-6 days. Nobody knows where are these cases located and what was their location history X days prior positively tested.

Obviously there is no PII, all devices these days can track your GPS location or possibly consume Google Location and Apple location services.

It would be great to see map of positive covid tests including location data prior that.

For example, I can see where the hotspots are and whether I was in the close proximity or not. This would allow users make better decisions.

Where does this fail?

[karalabe]

Therefore any data collected can only be available while smart contract is valid (until WHO covid19 status is pandemic).

The problem is that once your data is public, there's no way to take it back. An Ethereum contract might say you're not supposed to keep it and you should delete it, but that data is worth a fortune. You can be sure that there will be ample people data mining the crap out of it.

The key here is to allow users to make their location history available to community to make sure other people can benefit from if covid is positively tested or being tested.

Users will most definitely not want to make their location history public or available to anyone. The only feasible approach is to never share your location at all. In the post I previously linked there are some ideas.

It would be great to see map of positive covid tests including location data prior that.

Not possible unless people publish their data, which won't happen. The project revolves around trying to make meaningful decisions with limited local data availability. I think we can go a very long way without needing to centralize things.

Where does this fail?

You rely on the data being public. That cannot happen.