Apple and Google partner on contact tracing tech for COVID-19
Apple and Google announced a joint effort to develop a contact tracing technology for reducing the spread of COVID-19. The announcement explains that the two companies will release application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps from public health authorities. The apps will be available for download via their respective app stores. Apple and Google will further collaborate to enable a Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform by building this feature into the underlying platforms. The announcement was not welcomed by US lawmakers due to privacy concerns. The US Representative Jan Schakowsky tweeted ‘tech companies need to put privacy first, and ensure these products and services include privacy by design’.
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