Apple and Google Share Developer Tools and Strict Rules for COVID-19 Alert Apps
Apple and Google provide sample code and user interface assets to help developers build COVID-19 exposure notification apps. The tech giants also enforce strict privacy policies, including a ban on location tracking and advertising data collection.
Apple and Google release new sample code and user interface assets to help developers build COVID-19 exposure notification apps. These resources serve as starting points for developers working on behalf of public health authorities to jumpstart their app creation process using the newly renamed Exposure Notification API.
The two tech giants also enforce strict policies that developers must follow to gain app approval. Apps require explicit user consent before utilizing the API or sharing positive test results, and they must collect only the minimum data necessary for COVID-19 response while completely banning the use of information for advertising.
To protect user privacy further, the rules prohibit apps from accessing device Location Services entirely. Additionally, the companies limit the system to only one app per country to prevent fragmentation, though they show flexibility for nations that adopt regional or state-based approaches to their health responses.