Breaking News

GEEKOM to Unveil World's Most Powerful AI Mini PC at IFA 2025 Dolby Unveils Dolby Vision 2 Samsung Launches All-New Sound Tower at IFA 2025 LG Display 4th-Generation OLED Panel obtains industry’s first Perfect Reproduction Verification Viltrox launches AF 56mm Ultra-large aperture F1.2 Pro E and XF (APS-C) lenses

logo

  • Share Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
  • Home
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Essays
  • Forum
  • Legacy
  • About
    • Submit News

    • Contact Us
    • Privacy

    • Promotion
    • Advertise

    • RSS Feed
    • Site Map

Search form

Google and Apple Release Their Covid-19 Exposure Notification API to Support Public Health Agencies

Google and Apple Release Their Covid-19 Exposure Notification API to Support Public Health Agencies

Enterprise & IT May 20,2020 0

Apple Inc. and Google released their Covid-19 exposure-notification tools on Wednesday, along with changes that will help public health authorities gather more information on who has the virus.

One of the most effective techniques that public health officials have used during outbreaks is called contact tracing. Through this approach, public health officials contact, test, treat and advise people who may have been exposed to an affected person. One new element of contact tracing is Exposure Notifications: using digital technology to tell someone they may have been exposed to the virus. Exposure Notification has the specific goal of rapid notification, which is especially important to slowing the spread of the disease with a virus that can be spread asymptomatically.

To help, Apple and Google cooperated to build Exposure Notifications technology that will enable apps created by public health agencies to work more accurately and effectively across both Android phones and iPhones. Over the last several weeks, the two companies have worked together, reaching out to public health officials, scientists, privacy groups and government leaders all over the world to get their input and guidance.

Starting today, the Exposure Notifications technology is available to public health agencies on both iOS and Android.

"What we’ve built is not an app—rather public health agencies will incorporate the API into their own apps that people install. Our technology is designed to make these apps work better. Each user gets to decide whether or not to opt-in to Exposure Notifications; the system does not collect or use location from the device; and if a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, it is up to them whether or not to report that in the public health app. User adoption is key to success and we believe that these strong privacy protections are also the best way to encourage use of these apps," the companies said.

Some governments have criticized the system because it doesn’t let authorities store data on who has the virus and track where it is spreading. Instead, it just notifies individuals if they have been exposed.

Apple and Google listed announced changes to the system on Wednesday. One change lets public health authorities contact exposed users based on “a combination of the API and data that users voluntarily chose to input into the app,” the companies said. The API is the Application Programming Interface, the set of software tools that lets these new exposure-notification apps communicate with Apple and Google’s operating systems.

Apple and Google are allowing the optional collection of additional data by these apps, including ZIP codes and user phone numbers. These will only be shared if users give permission.

Each public health authority will be able to set parameters for what counts as an exposure, such as how long someone spent near another user, or how close they got. The software uses Bluetooth technology to let phones detect one another.

The system is designed to work with one app per region, such as a country or state, to avoid fragmentation. The companies said multiple U.S. states and 22 countries have requested and received access to the system. Alabama and North Dakota both said they will be using it.

The tools have been released via the iOS 13.5 update for iPhones released in the last four years, while Android phone users running Android 6.0 or later are receiving the system via a Google Play download.

Tags: AppleGoogle
Previous Post
WarnerMedia Announces New Distribution Partners For HBO Max
Next Post
Honor X10 Released With 5G Support, Pop-Up Selfie Camera

Related Posts

  • Google announces Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Pixel Buds 2a

  • Elevate your gameplay across mobile and PC

  • Apple unveils Mac Studio featuring M4 Max and new M3 Ultra

  • Apple introduces iPad Air with powerful M3 chip and new Magic Keyboard

  • Apple debuts iPhone 16e

  • Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max and new MacBook Pro

  • Apple unveils the new iMac with M4, supercharged by Apple Intelligence and available in fresh colors

  • What’s new in Android 15, plus more updates

Latest News

GEEKOM to Unveil World's Most Powerful AI Mini PC at IFA 2025
Enterprise & IT

GEEKOM to Unveil World's Most Powerful AI Mini PC at IFA 2025

Dolby Unveils Dolby Vision 2
Consumer Electronics

Dolby Unveils Dolby Vision 2

Samsung Launches All-New Sound Tower at IFA 2025
Consumer Electronics

Samsung Launches All-New Sound Tower at IFA 2025

LG Display 4th-Generation OLED Panel obtains industry’s first Perfect Reproduction Verification
Enterprise & IT

LG Display 4th-Generation OLED Panel obtains industry’s first Perfect Reproduction Verification

Viltrox launches AF 56mm Ultra-large aperture F1.2 Pro E and XF (APS-C) lenses
Cameras

Viltrox launches AF 56mm Ultra-large aperture F1.2 Pro E and XF (APS-C) lenses

Popular Reviews

be quiet! Dark Mount Keyboard

be quiet! Dark Mount Keyboard

be quiet! Light Loop 360mm

be quiet! Light Loop 360mm

be quiet! Light Mount Keyboard

be quiet! Light Mount Keyboard

Noctua NH-D15 G2

Noctua NH-D15 G2

Terramaster F8-SSD

Terramaster F8-SSD

be quiet! Light Base 600 LX

be quiet! Light Base 600 LX

Soundpeats Pop Clip

Soundpeats Pop Clip

be quiet! Pure Base 501

be quiet! Pure Base 501

Main menu

  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Essays
  • Forum
  • Legacy
  • About
    • Submit News

    • Contact Us
    • Privacy

    • Promotion
    • Advertise

    • RSS Feed
    • Site Map
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us
  • Promotional Opportunities @ CdrInfo.com
  • Advertise on out site
  • Submit your News to our site
  • RSS Feed