• Coronavirus: final rush for the app, will play role in 'phase two'

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April 10, 2020 Google and Apple collaborate on a coronavirus contagion tracking project that can help governments. They announce it in a joint release. In May they will make available tools (API) for developers who are designing apps for world institutions and which will allow dialogue and "interoperability between Android and iOS devices". While "in the coming months" they will make available a contact tracing platform based on Bluetooth giving "utmost importance to privacy, transparency and consent" of users.

"We are convinced that there has never been a more important time to work together in trying to solve a global problem - explain Google and Apple - Through close cooperation and collaboration with developers, governments and public health organizations, we hope that the technology can help countries around the world slow the spread of Covid-19 and accelerate the return to our daily lives. We will openly publish information about our work so that others can analyze it. "

With the API, application programming interfaces, Google and Apple will not directly design apps for tracking but will help those implemented by developers and companies from all over the world to make the two different operating systems of the companies talk to each other (Android Google and Apple iOS). While the "wider platform based on Bluetooth technology, it is a more solid solution than the API and would allow the participation of a greater number of people, on a voluntary basis, as well as allowing interaction with a wider set of apps and health authorities Government, privacy, transparency and consensus are of utmost importance in this project and we will build this functionality by consulting with the various stakeholders. "