| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to privacy failings with the NHS Scotland Covid Status app has happened within the same organization, involving both the Scottish government and NHS National Services Scotland. The Information Commissioner's Office reprimanded both entities for failing to provide clear details about how personal information was being used in the app [124169].
(b) The incident involving privacy failings with the NHS Scotland Covid Status app has not been explicitly mentioned to have occurred at other organizations or with their products and services in the provided article. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase was primarily due to the failure of the NHS Scotland Covid Status app to provide clear details about how personal information was being used. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) reprimanded both the Scottish government and NHS National Services Scotland for not being upfront with people about how their information was being used when the app was launched. The ICO had concerns about the app sharing images and passport details of users with the software company providing facial recognition technology, which was deemed unlawful and unnecessary for the app's functionality [Article 124169].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase was evident in the ongoing failure of the Scottish government and NHS National Services Scotland to provide concise privacy information within the app so that the average person could understand how their information was being used. The ICO highlighted the initial failure to provide adequate privacy information at the app's launch and the continued lack of clear information about data usage to users. Despite halting plans to share personal data with the software company, the app was still launched without fully addressing compliance concerns with data protection law, indicating operational shortcomings [Article 124169]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the NHS Scotland Covid Status app was primarily due to factors originating from within the system. The app failed to provide clear details about how personal information was being used, leading to privacy concerns and criticism from the Information Commissioner's Office. The app's design and implementation, including plans to share personal data with a software company for facial recognition technology, were key internal factors contributing to the failure [124169].
(b) outside_system: There is no specific information in the article indicating that the software failure incident was primarily due to factors originating from outside the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the NHS Scotland Covid Status app was primarily due to non-human actions. The failure stemmed from the app's plans to share the images and passport details of Scottish users with the software company providing the facial recognition technology behind it. This sharing of personal data was designed to improve the facial recognition software but was deemed unnecessary for the app's functionality and provided no benefit to the user. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found this sharing of data to be potentially unlawful in those circumstances, leading to concerns about non-compliance with data protection laws [124169].
(b) Additionally, human actions played a role in the failure as the Scottish government and NHS National Services Scotland were reprimanded for their initial failure to provide adequate privacy information within the app at launch and an ongoing failure to provide concise privacy information so the average person could understand how the app was using their information. The ICO highlighted that the app was launched without fully addressing its wider concerns about compliance with data protection law, indicating a lack of proper communication and transparency from the human side [124169]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 124169 was not due to hardware issues but rather due to privacy failings in the NHS Scotland Covid Status app. The failure was related to the app's handling of personal data and privacy concerns, such as inadequate privacy information provided to users, plans to share personal data with a software company for facial recognition technology, and ongoing failures to provide concise privacy information to users [124169].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 124169 was primarily attributed to contributing factors originating in software, specifically related to the design and implementation of the NHS Scotland Covid Status app. The app failed to provide clear details about how personal information was being used, leading to privacy concerns and a reprimand from the Information Commissioner's Office. Issues included inadequate privacy information at launch, plans to share personal data with a software company for facial recognition technology, and ongoing failures to provide concise privacy information to users [124169]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the NHS Scotland Covid Status app can be categorized as non-malicious. The failure was primarily due to the app's failure to provide clear details about how personal information was being used, leading to privacy concerns raised by the Information Commissioner's Office [124169]. The concerns were related to inadequate privacy information within the app, ongoing failure to provide concise privacy information, and plans to share personal data with a software company for facial recognition technology without clear necessity or benefit to the user. The incident was more about negligence and lack of transparency rather than intentional harm to the system. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was poor_decisions. The failure of the NHS Scotland Covid Status app was primarily due to poor decisions made by the Scottish government and NHS National Services Scotland. The Information Commissioner's Office reprimanded both entities for failing to provide clear details about how personal information was being used in the app, despite being urged to do so. The decision to launch the app without adequately addressing privacy concerns and without providing concise privacy information to users was highlighted as a poor decision that compromised users' privacy and personal information [124169]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the case of the NHS Scotland Covid Status app. The app failed to provide clear details about how personal information was being used, leading to criticism and reprimand from the UK's data watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office [124169]. The ICO highlighted concerns about the app sharing users' images and passport details with a software company for facial recognition technology, which was deemed unlawful and unnecessary for the app's functionality. Additionally, the Scottish government and NHS National Services Scotland were reprimanded for their initial failure to provide adequate privacy information within the app at launch and an ongoing failure to provide concise privacy information for users to understand how their data was being used [124169].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the NHS Scotland Covid Status app can be categorized as a temporary failure. The app failed to provide clear details about how personal information was being used, leading to privacy concerns and a reprimand from the Information Commissioner's Office [Article 124169]. The failure was due to specific circumstances such as inadequate privacy information within the app at launch and ongoing failure to provide concise privacy information, rather than being a permanent failure caused by all circumstances. |
| Behaviour |
crash |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the NHS Scotland Covid Status app can be categorized as a crash. The app failed to provide clear details about how personal information was being used, leading to concerns about privacy violations. The Information Commissioner's Office reprimanded both the Scottish government and NHS National Services Scotland for not being upfront with people about how their data was being used, indicating a failure in the system's intended functions [Article 124169]. |