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Scotland this week became the latest European country to implement a coronavirus contact tracing app based on Apple and Google’s exposure notification system.
Called Protect Scotland, the free app is an optional coronavirus tracking measure administered by NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect program.
Like other applications that use the exposure notification framework, Protect Scotland works in the background and uses Bluetooth to exchange anonymous and encrypted identifiers with other devices running the application. When the app discovers another user, it records the distance between the devices and the time they were in contact with each other.
The solution does not store data on central servers managed by Apple or Google, but instead stores anonymous Bluetooth beacons on user devices until participants choose to share the information with an external party.
If a user tests positive for coronavirus, they can enter a test code assigned by a contact tracker in the app. This will activate the transmission of an automatic notification to other users of the application who came into contact with the infected person.
Protect Scotland also includes a feature that allows users to share the app with friends and family, hopefully increasing adoption rates.
Scotland’s launch follows similar digital contact tracing efforts from various countries around the world. As of mid-August, some 16 countries, including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and Uruguay, were using the Apple-Google API.
While international support has been relatively strong, US states have been slow to adopt the exposure reporting system. Currently only six states use the API, while another two are expected to launch compatible applications in the coming weeks.
On Wednesday, Colorado announced upcoming support for Exposure Notification Express, a technology that allows iOS and Android smartphone owners to participate in contact tracing efforts without downloading a dedicated app. The new protocol was released to iPhone users with the release of iOS 13.7 last week.
