Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McKim, for that question. Let me, to the extent I am able, provide some information. The last point that you made about the filtering process only using the data which is relevant is definitely correct. I am advised that it isn't technologically feasible to ignore the bluetooth signals of other users beyond 1.5 metres because of the nature of bluetooth technology, which means that signals can be detected within about 10 metres. The COVIDSafe app detects the strength of bluetooth signals, not the distance. The app uses the detected strength of bluetooth signals to estimate the distance between users. So the government has put in place access restrictions to digital handshakes uploaded to the national COVIDSafe data store, and personnel in state and territory health authorities can only access digital handshakes which meet the risk parameters set on the basis of the medical advice about the risks of exposure to COVID-19. That ensures that the minimum amount of information required for contact tracing is what is collected from users.