{"id":2363,"date":"2018-02-04T15:34:20","date_gmt":"2018-02-04T15:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dpscomputing.com\/blog\/?p=2363"},"modified":"2021-03-01T21:51:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-01T21:51:15","slug":"matt-hancock-mp-launches-app-to-bemusement-of-general-public","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dpscomputing.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/04\/matt-hancock-mp-launches-app-to-bemusement-of-general-public\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt Hancock MP Launches App To Bemusement Of General Public"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matt Hancock<\/a> – some people know him, some people don’t – he’s the current Digital, Culture, Media & Sport<\/a> secretary of the United Kingdom and forms part of Her Majesty’s Government.<\/p>\n

His department is the former Culture, Media & Sport department and in an effort to show that he considers ‘Digital’ an important part of his role, he’s embraced the world of digital and employed a development agency to make an app.\u00a0 A phone app.\u00a0 An app you can use on your tablets.\u00a0 An app all about…<\/p>\n

Matt Hancock<\/h2>\n

Introducing the new ‘Matt Hancock’ app!\u00a0 To quote an early adopter, Robert Hutton, “it’s like having an actual Matt Hancock in the palm of your hand!”.<\/p>\n

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Stills are from the intro video that you are greeted with after first launching the Matt Hancock app.\u00a0 The purported aim of the app is to engage with his local constituents in West Suffolk but, needless to say, in a matter of days, Matt Hancock has gone global.\u00a0 OK, global *may* be a slight exaggeration but he’s certainly gone national.\u00a0 Absolutely further than West Suffolk.<\/p>\n

Although no, I’ve not personally joined the Matt Hancock revolution yet.<\/p>\n

What’s It All About?<\/h2>\n

Well, leaving connecting with constituents to one side, it’s social media, kind of Facebook-esque (old world, not current!) and people can be social with each other.<\/p>\n

But… rather than having Mark Zuckerberg to idolise like a god you have Matt Hancock.\u00a0 Matt Hancock has put himself all over the app.\u00a0 You can check in on what Matt Hancock is currently doing.\u00a0 Look at what he’s having for tea.\u00a0 Have a look at the latest selfie he’s taken.<\/p>\n

But, it’s not a vanity project… honest!<\/p>\n

Who Are The People Using It?<\/h2>\n

Good question – at the moment, journalists have jumped all over.\u00a0 Also, Matt Hancock seems to have a lot of ‘fans’ that have also joined up.\u00a0 Also, following his new found fame with the launch of the eponymous app, a whole cross section of society appear to have signed up.\u00a0 International take up appears low at this time, but it’s early days.<\/p>\n

Whilst users of the worlds biggest social networking site Facebook are sometimes unofficially known as ‘Facebookers’ or ‘Zuckers’, following on in a similar fashion, users of Matt Hancock are affectionately (yet unofficially, as far as we know) known as ‘Mancocks’ or just ‘cocks’ for short (hence the 17+ app rating).<\/p>\n

What’s Not To Like?<\/h2>\n

Well, not much I guess.<\/p>\n

The department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which oversees the Information Commissioners Office, stresses the importance of app developers following it’s official guidance for privacy in mobile apps<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Seems developers Disciple Media may not have got the memo though.<\/p>\n

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1\/ Hold me twitter. Here goes. (1) no Privacy Policy on the App landing page which doesn’t meet Apples guidelines (2) The app is promoted as the ‘Official App for Matt Hancock’ but the ‘seller’ is Disciple Media Ltd (3) Individuals must tick to ‘accept’ a Privacy Policy and ToS<\/p>\n

\u2014 Privacy Matters (@PrivacyMatters) February 1, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n