Thread by @AlecMuffett

"Oh my, how could this have happened, who could have: possibly foreseen this outcome...?"

ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE WHO WORKS IN SECURITY, THAT'S WHO.

BBC News - Coronavirus: Scam warning over NHS test and trace
bbc.co.uk/news/health-53…

While we're here, here's @WhichUK, more than 2 weeks ago, explaining how the scam will work and how to avoid it:
which.co.uk/news/2020/06/n…

And here's @Ofcom explaining a multitude of scam opportunities, a mere 10 days ago:
ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/la…

AAAAAAND then there @FullFact from June 2nd, 18 days ago, reiterating and then correcting the Government line:

fullfact.org/online/test-an…

People sometimes ask why I'm so generally poorly disposed towards technical solutions that seek to implement "social engineering" of one or other forms.

This is a fine exemplar of what happens when motivated but technically illiterate people, bodge a solution.

It's not just #TrackAndTrace, the same goes for self-interested private enterprise pursuing #AgeVerification and hoping for a Government mandate to drive profitability:

“A Sequence of Spankingly Bad Ideas” by Alec Muffett link.medium.com/vrDFXhv3t7

And also for every civil society wonk, pundit, or good-natured academic who fervently believes that if only the tech companies would listen to *them* that they would be able to solve {cyber bullying, fraud, hate speech, misinformation, exploitation, …}
link.medium.com/n1BK85M3t7

Footnote: I am entirely convinced that some of the people who are/were working on this are extremely technically competent. Doesn't matter, because if they are suckered into implementing a "white elephant" then they clearly lack any leverage.

https://twitter.com/AlecMuffett/status/1274484519727501313?s=19