UCSF Eureka Research

Overall, the app works very well. Sign-in was quick and easy. The questionnaires work fine. Although, I haven’t figured out why the study hasn’t asked if I’ve been vaccinated yet (I have). When I first downloaded the app, I noticed some negative reviews about location tracking. Although I used the app for many months without an issue. Then recently the app starting following my location even after I closed the app (Apple places a blue indicator at the top of the Home Screen), even though my setting was set to allow only when using the app. After two days of that, I had to go into the settings app and turn off location services for that app, which seemed to solve the problem. It’s a strange bug, though.

Signed up. Then, they didn’t send a link for the app, so an email was sent requesting help. After a link was sent, downloaded the app - I should have read the reviews first. After reading the reviews, I deleted the app. Be The Match was the group that sent the invitation. But one of there employees had posted some very negative/unprofessional comments on one of my websites - they didn’t know that their IP address was recorded with their comment. So I had to deal with that. In addition, I had a very negative experience when BTM called/emailed me about being a potential match. So those two incidents just didn’t help. Not sure why BTM contacted me about this project but after seeing the reviews, I just don’t have a good feeling. I need a app that was made by a pro, not by a student working on their degree. There are far too many negative reviews for the app. It uses too much battery power. I would love to help and have even volunteered for the stage 3 vaccine trials. I even tried to volunteer for the BTM program. It just seems like these groups and their programs/research are poorly run. (My spouse is a scientist and I have been in several different labs that are professionally run.) I can not run the risk of having a problem app, that also doesn’t respect privacy, on my phone! I have deleted the app and am withdrawing from this poorly run program!

I have been participating in the Covid-19 research, enabled by this app, since March. The app works well, but it appears to track my location for a long and indefinite time after leaving the app, even though I have l location sharing set to “only while using.” Somehow they seem to be evading the “while using” to continue tracking location unless I force-quit the app. While I understand that there may be some value to Covid researchers in tracking who is going out and who isn’t, this seems like a clear violation of trust. Once you leave the app, tracking should cease just as it does with every other app when “only while using” is selected.