In the merciless war of the high-tech giants, collaboration is unprecedented, even historic. The two largest software companies for smartphones, Apple and Google, announced on Friday a partnership to allow digital tracking of individuals who have been close to people infected with coronavirus in order to limit the spread of the disease.
"Google and Apple announce a joint effort to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus, putting user privacy and security at the heart of the design, "said the two tech giants in a blog post.
Contact tracking and user alerts
Smartphones equipped with Apple's iOS software or Google's Android software will thus be able to exchange information via Bluetooth, in order to monitor human contacts (“contact tracing”) and alert other users.
From May, users of iOS and Android devices will be able to share content from official applications of public health authorities, downloadable from the online stores of the two groups.
Apple and Google are also planning to develop "a broader contact tracking platform [...] that would allow more people to participate if they choose to join. "Given the urgency of the need, the goal is to implement this two-step solution while maintaining strong protections to ensure the privacy of users," promised Apple and Google.
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- Coronavirus
- Apple
- Covid 19
- High-Tech