Google and Apple Join Hands to Launch Coronavirus Contact Tracing Platform

Google and Apple collaborating to create COVID-19 contact tracing platform called “EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION API”.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a major threat to people’s lives across the globe and has caused businesses to shut down. During this epidemic, technologies are playing a crucial role in keeping our society functional in a time of lockdown and quarantine. The software developers are contributing by composing technical tools to help fight the coronavirus and save lives.

In this spirit of association, APPLE and GOOGLE have come together to launch COVID-19 contact tracing platform called “EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION API”, originally known as Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing Project, which will allow public health authorities to build COVID-19 contact tracing apps.

Under the exposure notifications system, someone can trace the infected person who tests positive for coronavirus and will receive an alert on their phone, while ensuring their privacy is not compromised. This notification tech is available to public health agencies on both IOS and Android.

In Europe, most of the countries are leaning toward the use of the Apple-Google platform but Britain and France have opted to develop their own systems. So far authorities in 23 countries have requested to this Application and Programming Interface (API) and they expect more to come on board.

There are concerns regarding privacy and security with the app that has been raised. To address these concerns, Google and Apple have laid down certain conditions for the use of the platform.

The first condition is that, any app developed on the platform must not voluntarily gather geo location data and should not be commercially used. Moreover, one app per country has been allowed to avoid any competition and it will be left to the user to declare if he or she is infected with the coronavirus.  Lastly, when the pandemic is over the platform must be taken down.