Apple and Google are two of the biggest companies in the world and now they've partnered up to fight the coronavirus.
Apple and Google announced today that they're working on a new initiative to use Bluetooth to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the coronavirus, aka COVID-19. This system will utilize APIs that enable interoperability between iOS and Android devices as well as a Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform.
In May, both companies will launch the API's that'll enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices with apps from public health authorities.
Then in the coming months, Apple and Google will enable a broader Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform that'll be built into their underlying platforms. This system will be more robust than an API and will enable more people to participate if they choose to do so, plus enable interaction with a broader range of apps and government health authorities.
A report from TechCrunch has more info on how the system will work. Two people are near each other for a period of time and their phones exchange anonymous identifiers that change every 15 minutes. One of those people may later be diagnosed with COVID-19 and enter it into an app from a public health organization.
With consent, that user's anonymous identifiers from the last 14 days can be transmitted to the system. The other person that they came into contact with who has that public health app installed on their phone will download the broadcast keys from people who have tested positive and they'll be alerted about the match and get more info on what to do next.
The two companies pledge that "maintaining user privacy is an essential requirement" in the design of their coronavirus contact tracing tool. The Bluetooth spec does not require the user's location, and users must provide explicit consent in order for their location to be optionally used.
Additionally, Apple and Google say that the Rolling Proximity Identifiers that'll be used by this tech change on average every 15 minutes, and the companies say that this makes it unlikely that user location can be tracking via Bluetooth over time.
The two companies have also published Bluetooth and cyptography specifications for their COVID-19 contact tracing tech, as well as the framework API, for more transparency on their effort.
"All of us at Apple and Google believe there has never been a more important moment to work together to solve one of the world’s most pressing problems," the two companies said. "Through close cooperation and collaboration with developers, governments, and public health providers, we hope to harness the power of technology to help countries around the world slow the spread of COVID‑19 and accelerate the return of everyday life."
