Google and Apple partner to produce Asian-style contact tracing app to battle pandemic (science news).
To wind up the current pandemic-induced social distancing and stay-at-home protocol increasing numbers of people around the world are suffering, a number of things would be handy: (1) a vaccine, (2) wide-spread accurate testing to identify those currently infected and those who have been infected and then recovered, (3) decent phone-based contact-tracing software.
The third of these is now being developed by a Google–Apple partnership, which is good news. Google and Apple’s joint effort is to use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus, with user privacy and security central to the design.
Since COVID-19 can be transmitted through close proximity to affected individuals, public health organizations have identified contact tracing as a valuable tool to help contain its spread. To further this cause, Apple and Google will be launching a solution that includes application programming interfaces (APIs) and operating system-level technology to assist in enabling contact tracing.
Given the urgent need, the plan is to implement this solution in two steps while maintaining strong protections around user privacy.
First, in May 2020, both companies will release APIs that enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps from public health authorities. These official apps will be available for users to download via their respective app stores.
Second, in the coming months, Apple and Google will work to enable a broader Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform by building this functionality into the underlying platforms. This is a more robust solution than an API and would allow more individuals to participate, if they choose to opt in, as well as enable interaction with a broader ecosystem of apps and government health authorities.
