Recently, a Facebook friend of mine posted a message she had copied from someone else. Here is the message:

“I understand that some of us differ in our beliefs regarding COVID19. I also understand that many people will be downloading the COVID19 app. However, if I am one of your “contacts” and you intend on installing the app, “Healthy Together”– “AB Trace Together” — or any similar tracing app, I am respectfully asking you to DELETE ME from your phone contact list, Facebook and Instagram pages PRIOR to installing the app on your Smartphone! The app WILL ask for permission to access your contact list, But NO ONE has my consent to use my name, phone number or any other identifying contact info in connection with these tracking apps which will identify me and locate me without my knowledge or permission. I resist this tracking. This is a privacy issue not a virus issue. Thank You.Copied and you should too.You can check your phone by going to settings, privacy, then click on health. It appears at the top under COVID-19 exposure logging.”

Unfortunately, this “erudition” my friend copied and posted has errors and misinformation. When her friends first saw it, they responded with comments of outrage and disbelief!

Since the post mentioned Healthy Together, I investigated what the app creator had to say. In part, this is what I found:

“Healthy Together is not tracing anyone who is not a user of the app, and is not tracing anyone who does not opt in to the Bluetooth or location data permissions. Healthy Together is completely opt-in, users own their data, and can delete it at any time.”

I notified my friend that the message was misinformation and I suggested she check it out for herself. She did and she made corrections to her post.

When things like this show up in email or in Social Media, I’m reminded of my Rule #5 which you’ll find in my April 6, 2020 post, “How Do You Know What To Believe?” (Click to read.) This particular rule mentioned the infamous “In God We Trust” coin message that circulated in email and across Social Media like wildfire and it was false.

Of course, privacy is a concern for all of us so a post like the one regarding Covid-19 tracking/tracing is going to get our attention. However, before you jump to any conclusions, get the facts. As Rule #5 states, “Don’t rush to broadcast.”

How do you find the truth? For one, if a post mentions specific companies or products, go right to their website or app and see what information is on their site…like I did with Healthy Together. If you can’t find any answers there, you might consider checking this blog. We have a great search option at the top of the right-hand column on each of our pages. (Try it: search “In God We Trust” and see what comes up!) Finally, you might go to a myth-busting site like Snopes or Truth or Fiction.

Oh wait, I know what some of you are thinking. “John, that’s just too much work. It’s not important enough for me to go searching to see if it’s true or not.” Fine, be that way! However, if you get an email or a message or a post from someone and you choose to not be a person of discernment and see if it’s legit, then DO NOT POST IT OR PASS IT ON! It’s that simple.