Contact tracing, a useful tool for curbing the spread of COVID-19
Solution Including API and OS Level Technologies Scheduled for Announcement


As the COVID-19 pandemic intensifies, Google and Apple agreed on the 10th to cooperate to accelerate the development of 'contact tracing' apps.

Public health experts view contact tracing as a tool that helps curb the spread of COVID-19, given that the virus can be transmitted through close contact with infected individuals.

Accordingly, Google and Apple have agreed to jointly support governments and health authorities in stopping the spread of viruses by using Bluetooth technology, with user privacy and security at the center of their development.

Currently, public health organizations, universities, and NGOs worldwide are developing opt-in contact tracing technology.

Google and Apple are set to announce a comprehensive solution that includes application programming interfaces (APIs) and operating system-level technologies to help enable contact tracing.

Considering the urgency of the situation, the plan is to implement the solution in two stages while maintaining strong protection measures related to user personal information.

In May, the two companies plan to release APIs that enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps provided by public health authorities. These official apps will be made available for users to download through both companies' app stores.

Google and Apple plan to enable a comprehensive Bluetooth-based contact tracking platform by integrating contact tracking capabilities into their native platforms over the next few months.

Industry officials stated that this is a more powerful solution than APIs and will enable interaction with an ecosystem involving various apps and government health authorities.

Google and Apple stated that they are building the relevant features through discussions with stakeholders regarding privacy, transparency, and consent. Additionally, they plan to publicly disclose information regarding their operations so that others can analyze it.

As part of this partnership, Google and Apple released draft technical documentation, including Bluetooth and encryption specifications and framework documentation .