Agree to Google TOS/Privacy policies for Covid tests?
So if you want to pick up some Covid tests these days, you need a "collect code" [sic].
If you have the NHS app on your Android or iOS smartphone, that's apparently pretty easy. Alternatively, if you're weary of battling countless stupid apps that ask for permissions they have no business needing and are just done with the "there's an app for that" mindset, and therefore don't have it; or if you have an independent (e.g. PinePhone, Librem 5, etc...) smartphone that the NHS app doesn't support; or if you only have a feature phone; or if you don't have a mobile phone at all - that's not going to work for you.
Alternatively, there's the Get a collect code to pick up coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow tests web page. (Great page title there, devs. Very snappy.) From this page, the process to get a "collect code" requires you to enter at least your name and date of birth. You may well have to enter more personal information than this. I don't know, I didn't get any further.
Anyway, at the bottom of each page in this process - on a healthcare-based website where you enter a bunch of personal information - it says:
Those documents are, at the time of writing, 8,127 and 4,013 words long respectively. And you want me to read, understand, and agree to those terms, in order to pick up some Covid tests? Which already involve a fair amount of inconvenience and discomfort on my part?
That's not even looking at the contents of those terms, some of which could be considered objectionable. For example, in their Privacy Policy, under "Information we collect as you use our services" / "Your Activity", there is:
So, in order to use the UK government site for getting hold of tests to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, you are asked to actively agree letting a US company - whose core business model involves collecting as much information as it can about everyone on the planet in order to target them with advertising so they can maximise shareholder value - monitor and track your activity across all the other websites on the internet that they monitor. Which is, like, a lot.
Are you kidding me? Like, whoever thought that this would be an acceptable way to run this site?
Oh, and as a final option to get a "collect code" you can call the phone number "119". Except that the IVR menu you get gives you the choice of "1 - The Test and Trace service", "2 - The Covid-19 vaccination booking service", "3 - The NHS Covid pass service", and "4 - Report an issue with your Covid vaccination record". So, nothing about requesting a "collect code" then. Great. Stellar work there everyone.
I guess I'm not getting any regular testing from now on then.
FFS
If you have the NHS app on your Android or iOS smartphone, that's apparently pretty easy. Alternatively, if you're weary of battling countless stupid apps that ask for permissions they have no business needing and are just done with the "there's an app for that" mindset, and therefore don't have it; or if you have an independent (e.g. PinePhone, Librem 5, etc...) smartphone that the NHS app doesn't support; or if you only have a feature phone; or if you don't have a mobile phone at all - that's not going to work for you.
Alternatively, there's the Get a collect code to pick up coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow tests web page. (Great page title there, devs. Very snappy.) From this page, the process to get a "collect code" requires you to enter at least your name and date of birth. You may well have to enter more personal information than this. I don't know, I didn't get any further.
Anyway, at the bottom of each page in this process - on a healthcare-based website where you enter a bunch of personal information - it says:
This service is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply.
Those documents are, at the time of writing, 8,127 and 4,013 words long respectively. And you want me to read, understand, and agree to those terms, in order to pick up some Covid tests? Which already involve a fair amount of inconvenience and discomfort on my part?
That's not even looking at the contents of those terms, some of which could be considered objectionable. For example, in their Privacy Policy, under "Information we collect as you use our services" / "Your Activity", there is:
The activity information we collect may include: [...] Activity on third-party sites and apps that use our services
So, in order to use the UK government site for getting hold of tests to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, you are asked to actively agree letting a US company - whose core business model involves collecting as much information as it can about everyone on the planet in order to target them with advertising so they can maximise shareholder value - monitor and track your activity across all the other websites on the internet that they monitor. Which is, like, a lot.
Are you kidding me? Like, whoever thought that this would be an acceptable way to run this site?
Oh, and as a final option to get a "collect code" you can call the phone number "119". Except that the IVR menu you get gives you the choice of "1 - The Test and Trace service", "2 - The Covid-19 vaccination booking service", "3 - The NHS Covid pass service", and "4 - Report an issue with your Covid vaccination record". So, nothing about requesting a "collect code" then. Great. Stellar work there everyone.
I guess I'm not getting any regular testing from now on then.
FFS