The rival companies are opening up their mobile operating systems so both iPhone and Android devices can run contact tracing apps.
The implementation has raised concerns over potential breaches of privacy, though the tech giants insist that the data will be anonymous and that ‘privacy, transparency and consent are of utmost importance’. If there’s a match, the person will receive a message indicating when and where they might have been exposed, along with guidance as to whether they should just watch for symptoms, seek testing, or self-quarantine.
The Czech Republic has announced it will release its own contact tracing app, and the UK, as well as France, Germany, and Italy are all planning to develop similar technology.
Can this be efficient enough?