Australia's coronavirus tracing app's data storage contract goes offshore to Amazon

Government insiders and technology industry players have raised alarms about the Federal Government's new COVID-19 tracing app, after a contract for its data storage went offshore to US retail and technology giant Amazon. Key points: The Federal Government says the app will help trace the coronavirus spread in Australia Concerns are raised that Australians' data will be hosted US by tech giant Amazon Data held by US-registered companies can be accessed by US law enforcement Bureaucrats inside the Government's Digital Transformation Agency voiced concerns about the awarding of the contract to an overseas provider when several wholly Australian-owned cloud storage services had been security vetted for precisely such high-level contracts. The ABC has also confirmed the tender was a limited, invitation-only opportunity initially run by the Department of Home Affairs, which is principally responsible for border protection and national security.

Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-24/amazon-to-provide-cloud-services-for-coronavirus-tracing-app/12176682