South Australia is trialing a smartphone app that will use facial recognition and geolocation to help authorities monitor people during home quarantine.
Around 50 South Australian residents have installed the new Home Quarantine SA app as part of the trial which will assist the government in monitoring compliance with the state’s mandatory isolation requirements.
iTnews reports: “The app will allow trial participants to ‘confirm their location with regular check-ins’ through a live face check-in feature that uses facial recognition and location verification.”
Individuals will be sent random location checks which they will be required to respond to within a 15-minute time frame to prove they are at their registered quarantine address by showing their face alongside current geolocation data.
SA Premier Steven Marshall said if the trial proves successful the app could provide “more options for home quarantine for returned South Australians.”
“We take no decision lightly when it comes to community safety,” he said. “It must be reiterated this is a trial and the outcomes and lessons learnt from it will be foremost amongst any decision to continue or expand it.”
The app will also provide a personalised testing and quarantine schedule, daily symptom checks, and health and wellbeing support resources.
