The Singapore government has announced the closure of the TraceTogether and SafeEntry systems, which have been used to collect data for tracking diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. These systems have been in operation since the beginning of 2020 but are now no longer in use.
This particular data collection for COVID-19 relied on special legislation passed by the Singapore Parliament in February 2021, which granted the Prime Minister the authority to determine the end date for the systems’ usage. All related agencies are required to delete the data completely.
Although all data will be erased, the government has revealed that some information must be retained indefinitely as it serves as evidence in a murder case from May 2020. This data will be kept with the police.
The process of shutting down these services involves the removal of the app from all app stores, the shutdown of servers, and the closure of the website. For users who utilized hardware tokens, the government has instructed them to return them to designated e-waste collection points.
TLDR: The Singapore government has decided to shut down the TraceTogether and SafeEntry systems, used for tracking COVID-19 cases, after implementing special legislation. All data will be deleted, except for evidence in an ongoing murder investigation. The shutdown process involves removing the app from stores and collecting hardware tokens.
Leave a Comment