cross-posted from: https://fedia.io/m/Brussels/t/556987

(This is actually about non-free software which should be free software… not sure if that’s sufficiently on-topic here)

Belgium has adopted an “official” app so that anyone can signal for help, so long as they belong to this exclusive group:

• Must have a smartphone (presumably recent).

• Must be a trusting patron of #Google or #Apple. Consequently,

  • must also have a mobile phone number and the will to trust surveillance advertisers with it (even though the app can make emergency contact without phone service).

• Must install and execute proprietary closed-source software. Consequently,

  • must trust closed-source software (by #Nextel or #Telenet?)
  • must be ethically aligned/okay with running #nonfreesoftware (which does not respect your freedom)

• Must be willing to leave Tor to access the access-restricted 112.be website.