Slovak android app inaccessible abroad

[lenhardt]

When I try to download https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sk.nczi.covid19
from outside Slovakia (Switzerland), I get an error "this item is not available in your country".

I think this will cause a lot of problems in practice, as

• many people coming back to Slovakia will have Google Play country setting set to different country (and it is very non-trivial to change) so they will not be able to download app at the border
• people will not be able to download the app in advance.

[anonymcek]

This app is intended to be used in Slovakia only as Slovak Ministry of health is coordinating tests for possibly infected people. As there is no position tracking it would be very difficult to identify if the person is from Slovakia.
There will soon be app for home quarantine, also for people returning back to Slovakia, this app will be available worldwide.

[salakis]

Unfortunately it's a genuine issue, the number of people affected by this is underestimated, there are enough legitimate Android users in Slovakia without a Slovak Google account, while the negative effects of having this app available globally are overestimated. If anyone has malicious intentions they can still sideload the APK from elsewhere while legimate and less-skilled users are locked out. Considering the dependence of this app on the network effect, I would really welcome lifting the geoblock.