Australia debuts 'Orwellian' new app using facial recognition, geolocation to enforce quarantine

The government of South Australia has launched an "Orwellian" new COVID-19 quarantine app, complete with facial recognition and geolocation, to enforce 14-day quarantines for travel. The policy actually represents an improvement over the current pandemic restrictions, a policy analyst told Fox News.

Steven Marshall, premier of the State of South Australia (one of the country's six states), launched the quarantine app policy in late August. Residents returning from New South Wales and Victoria, two other Australian states, may spend their 14 days in post-travel quarantine at home rather than in a hotel, so long as they download and use the "Orwellian" app, developed by the South Australian government, ABC News Australia reported. The app uses geolocation and facial recognition software to track those in quarantine. The app will contact people at random, asking them to provide proof of their location within 15 minutes.