An unprecedented phenomenon has occurred as the two biggest competitors in the smartphone industry, Apple and Google, have teamed up to combat COVID-19 by developing and launching a COVID-19 tracking tool for Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems. 

Apple and Google's engineering teams have come together to create a widespread contact tracing tool to help people know if they have been in contact with someone infected with COVID-19.

Contact tracing among individuals in society is a valuable tool that helps public health officials track the spread of the virus and notify individuals of potential exposure to new infections, allowing for timely testing. This is achieved by identifying and "tracing" those affected by COVID-19.

The first step of the project involves Google and Apple collaborating to create an API that public health authorities can integrate into their own apps. The next step is the contact tracing system that will work with both iOS and Android devices, depending on user preference.

The system uses the onboard radio on your smartphone to send anonymous short-term IDs via Bluetooth, and servers relay your last 14 days of signals by rotating IDs to other devices, which will search for matching pairs. Matches are determined based on criteria such as the duration of contact and the distance maintained between two mobile phones.

If a match is found with another user who reports a positive COVID-19 test, you will be notified and can proceed to get tested for the virus and self-quarantine.

Here’s a rough example of how such a system would work: 

Two people come into close proximity for a period, say 10 minutes. Their phones exchange anonymous identifiers (which change every 15 minutes). Later, if one of those individuals is diagnosed with COVID-19 and logs this through the Public Health Authority app integrated with the API, with additional consent, the diagnosed user will allow the transmission of their anonymous identifiers related to their activities over the past 14 days to the system.

When the people they interacted with have the public health app downloaded on their phones, they will be notified of the positive COVID-19 test and informed that they had previously been in contact with someone who tested positive.

The second phase of the project involves further optimization and implementation of the tracking tool at the operating system level, eliminating the need to download an app. Users will simply need to opt into the tracking feature on their devices. Public health apps will still be supported, and this will cater to a broader user base.

Regarding privacy and transparency concerns, both Apple and Google stated that privacy and transparency are paramount in public health initiatives and expressed their commitment to creating a system that prioritizes privacy.

The first phase, which is the API for personal contact detection, is expected to be operational by mid-May by Apple and Google for use in apps on iOS and Android systems. 

The second phase will be available in the coming months.

Apple and Google stated that they will disclose information about their work for others to analyze openly, ensuring maximum transparency regarding the privacy and security of the project.

“All of us at Apple and Google believe that there has never been a more critical time for us to work together to address the world’s most urgent problem,” the two companies said in a statement. “Through close collaboration and partnership with developers, governments, and public health providers, we hope to harness the power of technology to help countries around the world slow the spread of COVID-19 and accelerate the return to normal daily life.”

SOURCE: www.brandage.com

Cr: TechCrunch

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