The idea of the technology is to let people know when they have been around an infected individual. As one of the forms of transmission of COVID-19 is through close contact with someone infected, this solution can help to reduce the spread of the disease. The action will be done in two steps. In the first phase, which begins in May, Google and Apple will launch APIs (software programming standards) to be used by applications from public health authorities on both Android phones and iPhone (iOS). The idea is that these apps take advantage of the phone’s Bluetooth to detect if the user has been in contact with a possibly infected person. Bluetooth is a good technology for this purpose because it is aimed at wireless communication over shorter distances, in addition to low battery consumption. In the next step, which will be developed in the coming months, the goal is to create a broader contact tracking platform. Thus, more individuals could choose to participate in this ecosystem. It is worth mentioning that the system does not identify who the infected person was. It only informs the user that there has been close contact with someone who has the coronavirus. The tech giants also show concern for users’ privacy. In addition to not exposing the identity of the infected individuals, the solution should not send information to the servers of the companies. The idea is that everything is registered only on each user’s device. It is also worth mentioning that it is a consent technology, that is, each person must agree to participate in the project. In a statement posted on the blogs of both companies, Apple and Google say that this is an important time for companies to work together in an attempt to solve an urgent problem that affects the whole world. “Through close cooperation and collaboration with developers, governments and public health providers, we hope to use the power of technology to help countries around the world to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and accelerate the return to everyday life” says the note.
