Apple, Google Covid-19 contact tracing tool will need positive verification amid controversy

Apple and Google addressed questions about their upcoming Covid-19 smartphone contact-tracing solution on Monday, providing details about a partnership that has raised concerns among some privacy and cybersecurity experts.

The companies said the tool will require users to verify positive diagnoses before putting that information into the system. Test results will be checked by public health agencies that are building mobile apps that will work with the contact-tracing technology, Apple and Google added. They also defended the privacy of the system, reiterating that users’ names and locations would not be shared or stored.

The partnership was announced on Friday. The technology is designed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus by telling users they should quarantine or isolate themselves after contact with an infected individual. Since then, some experts have said the system may be vulnerable to spoofing, with people entering false test results.

On Monday, the companies also said that the system could record contact between people when smartphone users are within a couple of feet of each other for up to 10 minutes. The companies noted that Bluetooth wireless technology can sense devices from up to 15 feet away.

Apple and Google are building the technology into their iOS and Android operating systems in two steps. In mid-May, they plan to add the ability for iPhones and Android phones to wirelessly exchange anonymous information via apps run by public health authorities. In coming months, they will integrate the technology directly into their operating systems to reach more people.