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Some users are allegedly opening their TraceTogether tokens, removing the battery, and even exchanging the QR code with that of another device.
But doing so is not only a crime, it also puts Singapore at risk.
In response to inquiries from The New Paper, a spokesperson for the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group said it was aware of online forums where users claimed to have modified the token.
“Any deliberate or malicious act to manipulate the token is a crime under the Computer Misuse Act,” he said.
More than 400,000 tokens have been collected since distribution began last month.
The spokesperson said TraceTogether has helped reduce the time to identify close contacts from four days to less than two days. But tampering with the token can make contact tracing difficult, he added.
On October 20, the multi-ministerial task force addressing Covid-19 said that registering with TraceTogether will be mandatory in all public places by the end of December.
A thread on the HardwareZone online forum the same day discussed how to modify the tokens.
One user encouraged others to print QR codes of other tokens for themselves. The QR code, found on the back of the device, is unique for each token.
The thread, which has gained traction, with more than 780 posts as of Monday, saw other users discuss how to block the Bluetooth signal to prevent it from working as expected.
Many of the users seemed to be against the use of the tokens.
Some people had raised concerns about location monitoring and surveillance when the tokens were announced in June.
But authorities have assured the public that the tokens do not collect location data and are used only for contact tracing.
The Government Technology Agency also invited four experts to a teardown of the token in June to verify the inner workings of the device.
One of them, Roland Turner, chief privacy officer at analytics firm TrustSphere, told The New Paper that people shouldn’t worry about using the token.
“TraceTogether retains the information it collects on the device until it is diagnosed, and purges anything that is older than 25 days,” he said. “This means that more than 99.9 percent of the data collected never reaches the government.”
Noting that TraceTogether’s success in fighting Covid-19 depends on people’s cooperation, he added: “Like frequent hand washing, TraceTogether can achieve widespread use and high efficacy only if the population wants do what.
“It is worth taking all possible measures to encourage this.”
Kalco Law attorney Joshua Tong said that those who tamper with the tokens can violate several laws.
“If there is physical damage or alteration to the chips, one can be liable for a crime of damage.”
The crime carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.
If the mischief disrupts a public health service, one can be charged with harm caused by the disruption of a key service, which carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine, or both.
Mr. Tong said, “This is because TraceTogether tokens provide a service … (which) is critical to maintaining public health while fighting the pandemic.”
Under the Computer Misuse Act, unauthorized access to computer material carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to $ 5,000, or both.
Those who make unauthorized modifications to computer equipment can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $ 10,000, or both.
Infectious disease specialist Leong Hoe Nam said those who handle the token are irresponsible and put others at risk.
He said: “Manipulating the token is similar to sabotaging your country. Why are they so stupid?”
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