Apple and Google Team Up on Bluetooth Contact Tracing to Slow COVID-19
Apple and Google are partnering to build a cross-platform Bluetooth contact tracing system directly into iOS and Android to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Apple and Google announce a historic partnership to fight the COVID-19 pandemic by using Bluetooth technology for contact tracing. The two tech giants work together to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus, with user privacy and security serving as the central focus of the design. This collaboration unites the world's largest mobile operating systems to address a global health crisis.
The system relies on opt-in participation and does not collect personally identifiable information or user location data. The list of people a user comes into contact with never leaves their phone, and people who test positive remain anonymous to other users, Apple, and Google. The technology only functions for pandemic management by public health authorities and operates seamlessly across both Android and iOS devices.
Before building the technology directly into their underlying platforms in the coming months, the companies plan to release interoperable APIs in May. These APIs allow public health authorities to create official apps that communicate across both operating systems. Both Apple and Google pledge to maintain transparency by openly publishing information about their work for others to analyze.