Apple, Google Will Shut COVID-19 Tracker App After Containment Measures End

Apple and Google have shed more light on the upcoming automatic contact-tracing app that the two tech behemoths are working on collaboratively.

Addressing concerns for user privacy, they have now announced that the app will not work forever and will be put to an end once the Coronavirus outbreak is under control.

Reuters

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How or when the decision will be taken to pull the cord on the project is yet unsure, However, representatives from each company have stated that the end will be definite and will probably be carried out on a region to region basis, as and when the count of infected in a region is brought under control.

For those unaware, the two technology majors had earlier announced that they will be working together on developing an app that will track COVID-19 cases. Upon its development, the app is meant to use Bluetooth and GPS as the founding technologies for the desired result.

(Representative Image: Reuters)

Post the announcement, users had reciprocated with several privacy concerns to the teams. In part, the new updates come as a response to those concerns.

As per the new specification on the encryption to be used on the app, a major change will be incorporated in generating the daily tracing keys for those infected with the virus. While the keys were generated mathematically before, the same keys will now be generated randomly to make it more difficult for cyber attackers to trace back a person to a diagnosis. Citing the change, the daily tracing key will now be referred to as the ¡°temporary tracing key.¡±

In addition to the new way of generating tracing keys, engineers from the teams have also worked upon encrypting user information like base power levels of the devices (used for calculating proximity) and the version of the tool being used. Such information could also be potentially targeted to fingerprint specific users.

A larger take

Apart from addressing the privacy concerns, the teams announced a revised terminology for the project. Initially called a contact-tracing system, the app project will now be referred to as an ¡°exposure notification¡± system.

(Representative Image: Reuters)

That is because of the limited functionality of the planned app. While it will be able to conduct traditional contact tracing, building on it by interviewing subjects and identifying clusters of infection would not be possible. The name change hence reflects that the new system should be ¡°in service of broader contact tracing efforts by public health authorities,¡± i.e. a part of a larger goal.

It is, however, yet to be seen how the companies collaborate with public health agencies to make use of the upcoming app. As and when it does, it will likely work much like India¡¯s own Aarogya Setu app and will be specific to regions based on the availability of the regional medical data for the time being.