Apple and Google Launch Joint
COVID-19 Contact Tracing System The new software could be a major help
in the fight against COVID-19. The system will allow users to share data through
Bluetooth Low Energy transmissions and
approved apps from health organizations. It would help establish a voluntary contact-tracing
network by keeping data on phones that have been
in close proximity with each other. Users who download the apps from health organizations
can report if they've been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the system will also alert users if they have
been in close contact with an infected person. The iOS and Android APIs will be
released by Apple and Google in mid-May. The new technology would prevent people from
being identified, even after they share their data. Tim Cook, Apple CEO,
via Twitter Tim Cook, via Twitter