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Codes that are sent and received via Bluetooth are stored in the phone and the system cannot identify users.
14 – What type of data processing is carried out?
Information processing is limited to the mobile phone application, explains the STAYAWAY COVID website. “This processing consists of crossing these data online with the random numbers that each person’s phone received in the last 14 days. The data online, as well as all the data manipulated by the application, is itself without information. Only crossing with data that resides exclusively in mobile phones provides the information that we all want ”,
fifteen – What entities have access to the application data?
The system was designed to prevent any entity from having access to the identity of the users. “No external entity has knowledge of the identity of the user or his cell phone, so it will not be able to notify him, either by SMS or other alternative means”, refers to the application’s website, noting however that “As occurs in In all current computer systems, communications made over the Internet leave records, both in network operators and in servers, which, based on additional external information, can be used to identify the device that made the connection ”.
The official server is installed in Portugal, it will be operated by an official institution and in accordance with the best European security and privacy practices.
In addition, no external entity has the necessary information, which is only found on the user’s device, to assess its probability of contagion.
16 – Who had the application development initiative STAY COVID-19?
The challenge of developing the application was launched by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, to the different associated laboratories in the area of computing, as explained by José Manuel Mendonça, Professor of the faculty. of Engineering of the University of Porto and president of the Board of Directors of INESC TEC, who coordinated the entire project for the creation of the mobile application.
17 – Which organizations participate in the development of the application STAY AWAY COVID-19?
In addition to INESC TEC, ISUP – Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, and two startups derived from INESC TEC, keyruptive and UBIrider, are entering the market in the areas of cryptography and information security and areas of dematerialization and mobility of information.
18 – Can there be more than one application working in Portugal?
In each country, there can only be one official application that uses the Google and Apple APIs, but other organizations and companies may have contact tracking applications.
19 – Is the application effective in tracking COVID-19?
The effectiveness of the application depends on the number of people who install and use it. According to the modeling analyzes carried out, only with a 60% use will it be possible to achieve effectiveness in the identification of cases of contagion. This analysis was based on the example of the United Kingdom. Currently, experts question these figures and indicate that using the application is always advantageous, even with a more limited number of users.
20 – Who diagnoses COVID-19 infection?
Diagnosis is made by physicians and a 12-digit code is issued to test-positive users. It is this code that must be used in the application, on a voluntary basis, so that the system issues the alert that is sent to the cell phones of the people who have been in contact with the infected person, without ever knowing who the contact was or when it was done.
21 – How does the alert system work?
The alert is made within the application itself, not by SMS. Users who have been in contact with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 receive an alert within the app.
22 – Does the data stay in the system forever?
According to the information on the website, “the data from mobile phones are deleted by the application itself, at most, after 21 days and all are deleted when the application is uninstalled. The online data, in a similar way, is deleted, at most, after 21 days ”. It is also said that the entire system will be disrupted when the end of the pandemic in Portugal is declared.
23 – Is the application code available in open source?
Part of the source code of the application has also been made available to the public on GitHub, both on the interface side and in the core components of the application, developed by the European DP3T consortium, but the APIs of Google and Apple are not have been made available to the public.
24 – Is the application compatible with the Apple and Google contact tracking APIs?
Yes, the Apple and Google APIs are used at the base of the application and were considered essential for the development of STAYAWAY COVID.
25 – What are the European recommendations for COVID-19 monitoring applications?
The European Commission has published recommendations to protect the privacy of citizens, recommending that data be anonymous and that applications be disabled after the pandemic. The document with the recommendations is online and the EC says it will make regular reports on the implementation in the different European countries.
26 – How is interoperability with applications from other countries?
In addition to tracking contacts within Portugal, the system aims to interoperate with the largest possible number of COVID-19 digital tracking initiatives, European and outside Europe. Therefore, the development is articulated with the different European countries that are developing similar applications, in particular based on the DP ^ 3T architecture. “In this way, it should be possible to compare the data collected by the application with those available online for any of these countries ”, refers to the website of the STAYAWAY COVID application.
27 – Or what about DP ^ 3T Decentralized proximity tracking to preserve privacy?
The application is based on the DP ^ 3T protocol which was designed for decentralized proximity-based systems that guarantee tracking while maintaining privacy. The source code is available on GitHub.
The answers are based on information collected from various sources, the experts and the STAYAWAY COVID website to answer the main questions about how the application will collect and share information, the technology used and the integration with Google and Google APIs. Apple. If you have additional questions, please leave your comment so we can try to answer as well.
