Contact Tracing Systems TraceTogether & SafeEntry Discontinued From 5 Feb
The Government announced today (5 Feb) that it has discontinued contact tracing systems TraceTogether (TT) and SafeEntry (SE).
Contact tracing data from these systems have been erased as well.
The Government rolled out these contact tracing measures to help curb the spread of Covid-19.
Now that we’re treating Covid-19 as endemic, there won’t be a need for the contact tracing systems after 5 Feb.
The only data in storage is from a May 2020 murder case that the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is investigating.
TraceTogether & SafeEntry discontinued
According to a press release by the Smart Nation Group on the discontinuation of TT and SE, there will no longer be a need for such contact tracing systems after 5 Feb.
Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, who oversees digital Government and public sector data governance, made the decision in consultation with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. They agreed that “the risk of a severe Covid-19 outbreak requiring TT and SE to be restarted in the immediate term is low”.
Following Part 11 of the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, all data will also be deleted.
Section 82(8) says that the minister can specify a date. Thereafter, if Singapore doesn’t require a contact tracing system anymore, the authorities must delete such data and cease collecting them.
Data deleted as of 1 Feb
The press release stated that as of 1 Feb, all personal contact tracing data from TT and SE have been deleted.
The only data remaining is from TT, concerning a murder case in May 2020. The SPF will retain this data indefinitely.
The Government explained that this is necessary in case legal applications emerge to challenge the conviction or sentence years after the case has concluded. In such situations, the police may have to disclose the data.
Registration details that previously remained in the systems to enable quick set-up are no longer in existence too.
Users can recycle TraceTogether tokens
In case you’re curious, you won’t be able to find the TT and SE (Business) apps on mobile app stores.
Other infrastructure and their websites are also no longer available.
You may now uninstall your TT app and enterprises can do the same for the SE (Business) app.
If you’re still holding on to a TT Token, you can recycle it at any 3-in-1 e-waste bin. A list of e-waste bin locations is available on the National Environment Agency (NEA) website.
“TT and SE have served us well during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic by accelerating our contact tracing efforts and enabling the implementation of community safe management measures,” the Smart Nation Group said.
“We thank members of the public for their support of the TT programme and our digital contact tracing efforts in our fight against Covid-19.”
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