The message from Australian authorities is simple, patronising and misleading: Download the COVIDSafe app and we will start letting you out of coronavirus lockdown.

Despite the claims, experts insist that surveillance tracing tools of this nature are not effective in preventing the spread of a virus, and further analysis reveals the underlying intention of the application may in fact be to log, capture and monitor citizen behaviours.

Is COVIDSafe the missing link needed to kick-start an Australian ‘social credit system’?