<s>
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
(	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
digital	B-Protocol
contact	I-Protocol
tracing	I-Protocol
app	O
launched	O
by	O
the	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
Government	O
on	O
16	O
November	O
2020	O
to	O
conduct	O
contact	B-Application
tracing	I-Application
in	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
it	O
does	O
not	O
require	O
GPS	O
positioning	O
,	O
the	O
user	O
must	O
authorize	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
to	O
use	O
their	O
mobile	O
's	O
communication	O
network	O
,	O
camera	O
lens	O
and	O
notification	O
function	O
and	O
prevent	O
it	O
from	O
going	O
to	O
sleep	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
captures	O
other	O
apps	O
running	O
on	O
the	O
phone	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
personal	O
information	O
collection	O
statement	O
of	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
stated	O
that	O
the	O
visit	O
records	O
submitted	O
by	O
the	O
app	O
to	O
the	O
Department	O
of	O
Health	O
will	O
be	O
retained	O
for	O
seven	O
years	O
for	O
confirmed	O
COVID-19	O
cases	O
only	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Privacy	O
became	O
the	O
most	O
controversial	O
issue	O
surrounding	O
the	O
app	O
,	O
prompting	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
fake	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
apps	O
which	O
were	O
later	O
banned	O
by	O
the	O
Government	O
(	O
with	O
some	O
were	O
arrested	O
for	O
using	O
them	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
3	O
,	O
2022	O
,	O
FactWire	O
reverse-engineered	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
version	O
of	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
and	O
discovered	O
that	O
the	O
program	O
has	O
a	O
built-in	O
face	O
recognition	O
module	O
with	O
features	O
including	O
the	O
recognition	O
of	O
facial	O
features	O
and	O
location	O
,	O
which	O
led	O
to	O
another	O
controversy	O
about	O
the	O
privacy	O
of	O
the	O
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
8	O
,	O
2023	O
,	O
the	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
Government	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
system	O
would	O
cease	O
operation	O
and	O
no	O
longer	O
be	O
updated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
must	O
use	O
the	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Office	O
of	O
the	O
Government	O
Chief	O
Information	O
Officer	O
announced	O
that	O
as	O
of	O
17	O
February	O
2021	O
,	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
had	O
more	O
than	O
1	O
million	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
from	O
28	O
January	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
government	O
stipulates	O
that	O
citizens	O
entering	O
government	O
buildings	O
or	O
offices	O
must	O
scan	O
the	O
QR	O
code	O
on	O
their	O
mobiles	O
with	O
the	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
app	O
before	O
they	O
can	O
enter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
2	O
February	O
,	O
the	O
Chinese	O
Temples	O
Committee	O
stated	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
necessary	O
to	O
scan	O
the	O
QR	O
code	O
of	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
to	O
enter	O
the	O
Che	O
Kung	O
Temple	O
in	O
Sha	O
Tin	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Wong	O
Tai	O
Sin	O
Temple	O
requires	O
that	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
day	O
of	O
the	O
Lunar	O
New	O
Year	O
to	O
the	O
15th	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
lunar	O
month	O
,	O
believers	O
who	O
enter	O
the	O
temple	O
must	O
scan	O
the	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
QR	O
code	O
before	O
they	O
can	O
get	O
an	O
"	O
Entry	O
Permit	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
18th	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
month	O
,	O
the	O
government	O
required	O
restaurants	O
and	O
other	O
designated	O
premises	O
to	O
force	O
customers	O
to	O
use	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
to	O
record	O
the	O
whereabouts	O
of	O
citizens	O
,	O
otherwise	O
they	O
will	O
be	O
fined	O
for	O
3	O
to	O
14	O
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
22	O
February	O
,	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
downloads	O
of	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
exceeded	O
2.69million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
App	O
Store	O
for	O
Apple	O
mobile	O
phones	O
,	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
is	O
only	O
downloaded	O
by	O
registered	O
users	O
in	O
45	O
countries	O
,	O
and	O
only	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
and	O
Macau	O
rank	O
first	O
in	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
netizens	O
said	O
that	O
no	O
one	O
around	O
them	O
used	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
,	O
but	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
downloads	O
increased	O
sharply	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
comments	O
that	O
were	O
not	O
related	O
to	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
game	O
micro-transaction	O
advertisements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Therefore	O
there	O
's	O
doubt	O
that	O
through	O
the	O
service	O
company	O
,	O
the	O
application	O
finds	O
people	O
to	O
download	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
relevant	O
programs	O
and	O
give	O
them	O
five-star	O
praise	O
,	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
raise	O
the	O
download	O
ranking	O
list	O
of	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compared	O
with	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
because	O
the	O
App	O
Store	O
has	O
stricter	O
controls	O
on	O
the	O
"	O
Ranking	O
list	O
"	O
,	O
So	O
it	O
is	O
more	O
difficult	O
to	O
brush	O
high	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
government	O
did	O
not	O
commission	O
any	O
person	O
or	O
organization	O
to	O
purchase	O
any	O
online	O
advertisements	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
did	O
not	O
answer	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
repeated	O
downloads	O
of	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
from	O
1	O
November	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
government	O
stipulates	O
that	O
citizens	O
entering	O
government	O
buildings	O
or	O
offices	O
must	O
scan	O
the	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
QR	O
code	O
on	O
their	O
mobile	O
phones	O
before	O
entering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
“	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
”	O
telephone	O
hotline	O
2626	O
3066	O
will	O
be	O
launched	O
tomorrow	O
to	O
handle	O
public	O
enquiries	O
about	O
installing	O
or	O
using	O
the	O
“	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
”	O
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
,	O
from	O
updates	O
of	O
the	O
app	O
to	O
storing	O
and	O
display	O
of	O
the	O
vaccine	O
pass	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
also	O
seek	O
assistance	O
from	O
staff	O
at	O
the	O
OGCIO	O
mobile	O
support	O
stations	O
at	O
25	O
MTR	O
stations	O
on	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
13th	O
December	O
2022	O
,	O
the	O
Government	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
public	O
would	O
no	O
longer	O
have	O
to	O
scan	O
the	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
venue	O
QR	O
code	O
upon	O
entry	O
of	O
a	O
premises	O
to	O
take	O
effect	O
on	O
the	O
14th	O
December	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
permission	O
statement	O
of	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
written	O
on	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
the	O
permissions	O
include	O
using	O
the	O
camera	O
,	O
taking	O
photos	O
and	O
videos	O
,	O
accessing	O
device	O
and	O
application	B-Application
software	I-Application
records	O
,	O
capturing	O
running	O
application	B-Application
softwares	I-Application
,	O
receiving	O
internet	O
data	O
,	O
control	O
vibration	O
of	O
the	O
device	O
,	O
execute	O
at	O
startup	O
,	O
prevent	O
device	O
from	O
going	O
to	O
sleep	O
,	O
complete	O
network	O
access	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
Record	O
App	O
Activity	O
"	O
function	O
at	O
Apple	O
IOS	B-Operating_System
15	I-Operating_System
,	O
this	O
application	O
will	O
link	O
to	O
different	O
websites	O
to	O
exchange	O
data	O
,	O
including	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
was	O
launched	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
questioned	O
for	O
requesting	O
too	O
many	O
permissions	O
,	O
including	O
"	O
read	O
USB	O
content	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
check	O
Wi-Fi	O
connection.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Afterwards	O
,	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
was	O
updated	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
required	O
permissions	O
were	O
reduced	O
from	O
15	O
to	O
7	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
travel	O
records	O
that	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
uploads	O
to	O
government	O
will	O
be	O
kept	O
for	O
7	O
years	O
,	O
the	O
records	O
in	O
the	O
app	O
will	O
only	O
be	O
kept	O
for	O
31	O
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
restaurants	O
even	O
post	O
a	O
QR	O
code	O
that	O
mimics	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
,	O
but	O
after	O
scanning	O
it	O
with	O
a	O
mobile	O
phone	O
,	O
it	O
will	O
link	O
to	O
an	O
unrelated	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
Hospital	O
Authority	O
Employees	O
Alliance	O
questioned	O
that	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
is	O
for	O
monitoring	O
the	O
public	O
,	O
not	O
for	O
epidemic	O
prevention	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patrick	O
Nip	O
,	O
Civil	O
Service	O
Secretary	O
,	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
program	O
has	O
no	O
tracking	O
function	O
and	O
will	O
not	O
reveal	O
privacy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
organization	O
stated	O
that	O
in	O
the	O
next	O
week	O
it	O
will	O
continue	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
citizens	O
in	O
different	O
areas	O
to	O
boycott	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Except	O
for	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
,	O
Macao	O
and	O
China	O
,	O
downloads	O
for	O
the	O
app	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
ranks	O
first	O
in	O
countries	O
including	O
Antigua	O
and	O
Barbuda	O
,	O
Bermuda	O
,	O
Bahamas	O
,	O
Belize	O
,	O
Cape	O
Verde	O
,	O
Fiji	O
,	O
Micronesia	O
,	O
Guinea-Bissau	O
,	O
Iceland	O
,	O
Cayman	O
Islands	O
,	O
Laos	O
,	O
Niger	O
,	O
Papua	O
New	O
Guinea	O
,	O
Solomon	O
Islands	O
,	O
Turks	O
and	O
Caicos	O
Islands	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
British	O
Virgin	O
Islands	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Government	O
stipulates	O
that	O
starting	O
from	O
1	O
November	O
2021	O
,	O
people	O
must	O
scan	O
the	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
QR	O
code	O
when	O
entering	O
government	O
venues	O
,	O
including	O
hospitals	O
and	O
markets	O
,	O
and	O
cannot	O
use	O
handwritten	O
forms	O
to	O
write	O
down	O
personal	O
information	O
as	O
an	O
alternative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
different	O
from	O
what	O
the	O
SAR	O
government	O
claimed	O
at	O
the	O
beginning	O
they	O
will	O
not	O
force	O
people	O
using	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
and	O
is	O
being	O
criticized	O
as	O
backlash	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Except	O
for	O
people	O
under	O
12	O
and	O
aged	O
65	O
or	O
above	O
,	O
and	O
people	O
with	O
disabilities	O
who	O
have	O
difficulty	O
in	O
using	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
,	O
all	O
persons	O
entering	O
the	O
following	O
premises	O
must	O
use	O
the	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
app	O
to	O
scan	O
the	O
QR	O
code	O
on	O
the	O
spot	O
after	O
registering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
community	O
organization	O
concerned	O
about	O
the	O
issue	O
of	O
the	O
homeless	O
people	O
stated	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
observed	O
that	O
less	O
than	O
a	O
quarter	O
of	O
the	O
homeless	O
people	O
in	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
have	O
their	O
own	O
smartphone	B-Application
,	O
but	O
the	O
government	O
has	O
not	O
stated	O
whether	O
the	O
homeless	O
people	O
can	O
be	O
exempted	O
and	O
worried	O
that	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
public	O
facilities	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Social	O
Welfare	O
Department	O
,	O
sports	O
centre	O
and	O
the	O
Labor	O
Department	O
will	O
be	O
affected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
injured	O
man	O
with	O
a	O
bloody	O
head	O
rushed	O
to	O
the	O
accident	O
and	O
emergency	O
department	O
of	O
Queen	O
Elizabeth	O
Hospital	O
and	O
being	O
forced	O
to	O
scan	O
the	O
QR	O
code	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
before	O
entering	O
the	O
accident	O
and	O
emergency	O
department	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
citizens	O
are	O
already	O
required	O
to	O
provide	O
personal	O
information	O
when	O
registering	O
at	O
the	O
accident	O
and	O
emergency	O
department	O
,	O
requesting	O
emergency	O
patients	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
being	O
criticized	O
as	O
unnecessary	O
,	O
disturbing	O
and	O
annoying	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
government	O
stated	O
that	O
starting	O
from	O
1	O
November	O
2021	O
,	O
citizens	O
entering	O
the	O
market	O
are	O
forced	O
to	O
use	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
people	O
can	O
get	O
into	O
the	O
market	O
in	O
some	O
entrances	O
and	O
exits	O
without	O
checking	O
their	O
"	O
LeaveHomeSafe	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
