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Jakarta –
Tech giants Apple and Google said they would collaborate to develop software based on contact tracking technology to slow the spread of the corona virus. This device will allow users to choose to recognize other phones that are close to them.
Currently, operating systems made by Apple and Google are used by 99 percent of smartphones worldwide. This contact tracking tool will help people discover if they are around someone who is endemic for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“This is very interesting, but many people are concerned that it is about freedom. We will consider it,” US President Donald Trump said of the cooperation initiative at a briefing with journalists.
This software will help public health authorities to more quickly assess and quarantine people potentially exposed to the corona virus. This device is said to work more reliably than the currently used contact tracking method.
“With Apple and Google devices, you get all the public health features you need with a decentralized, privacy-friendly app,” said Michael Veale, a law professor at University College London. It also participated in the European contact tracking system, specifically DP3T. Centralized solutions like those proposed in Britain and Germany will no longer work with new technologies, he said.
The plan will launch in May.
To be effective, this Silicon Valley system requires millions of people to choose to be in your system, trust the protection technology provided by the company, and seamless surveillance by the public health system.
Cell phones of users with active technology will emit Bluetooth signals. The cell phone can record anonymous information related to other phones within a range of about 2 meters. Both companies say they will not track the personal data or GPS location of infected people.
Stanford University professor Al Gidari, who was also Google’s external advisor, said this device is not a substitute for the crown test, but “provides actionable results so that people can act responsibly, perform a independent isolation and reduce anxiety in the wider community. the whole. “
This software is expected to launch in May. It is unclear whether this technology will be used internationally. Google will launch it through the Play Store, while Apple will launch it as a software update.
Concerns regarding personal data.
Similar apps that were previously released in several countries have attracted attention to privacy concerns. However, Pam Dixon, Executive Director of the World Privacy Forum, said Apple had assured her that this device would protect the privacy of its users.
“I think they’ve solved some very big problems,” said Dixon. He stressed that the company said they could shut down this system when it was no longer needed. “The government will not have the identity information of the people who tested positive.”
According to reports, confidential information will remain on the phone of each individual user in encrypted form, the data collected cannot be personally identified.
Additionally, all forms of warning signs will be handled directly by public health agencies, not by technology companies, according to an information document seen by the Associated Press.
ae / yp (Reuters, AP)
(ita / ita)
