Apple and Google Build COVID-19 Contact Tracing Into Mobile Phones
Apple and Google create an ingenious Bluetooth-based contact tracing system for billions of phones, but it faces privacy concerns and cannot fix the flawed US testing infrastructure alone.
Apple and Google team up to build a contact tracing system directly into their mobile operating systems to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The technology uses Bluetooth to emit and record anonymous coded identification tags from nearby phones, allowing the system to notify individuals if they cross paths with someone who later tests positive for the virus.
The system relies on the same encryption technology that powers e-commerce and Bitcoin to keep user data completely untraceable and anonymous. Despite these privacy protections, the initiative faces immediate resistance from a public that harbors deep distrust toward big tech companies and fears potential location tracking.
While the integrated approach solves the low adoption issues seen in previous app-based tracing efforts like Singapore's, it ultimately falls short as a complete solution. The technology exists within a deeply flawed United States government response, and without adequate testing capacity, this brilliant system alone does not provide enough support to stop the spread of the coronavirus.