Apple, Google’s contact tracing API won’t allow governments to track location
The first beta of the API went out to developers working with public health authorities this past weekContact tracing apps that access user location could, theoretically, be used to monitor their movement
NEW DELHI: Apple and Google will ban location tracking on apps that use their contact tracing application program interface (API), the companies told Reuters. The companies had earlier said their API will only be available to public health authorities making contact tracing apps and that they will limit the number of apps to one per country.
The two had announced joint efforts to build the API to help governments speed up development of contact tracing apps that can be used to monitor covid-19 patients in their countries. The first beta of the API went out to developers working with public health authorities this past week.
According to the companies, the goal is to keep governments from using apps built on the API to log people’s movements and perform surveillance through them. Contact tracing apps that access user location could, theoretically, be used to monitor their movement just like Google Maps keeps a timeline of people’s whereabouts if it is allowed access to location data continuously.
Essentially, Apple and Google seem to think that Bluetooth should be enough for contact tracing apps to perform their intended task. Governments though may disagree with this, as many have used location data to monitor citizens and figure out “exposure events".
In fact, India’s own Aarogya Setu app, which has over 8 crore downloads, depends on location data. Bluetooth connections from nearby phones and the user’s location is used by the app to figure out whether a user has been in contact with infected patients or in red zones. The app can also direct users to quarantine themselves, and the government plans to use it for other purposes, like giving out e-passes for movement during lockdowns in the future.
It’s worth noting that by providing an API, Apple and Google are only giving governments an option to use it. They can’t, however, make it mandatory for apps to use this API. Like India’s Aarogya Setu, there are other apps too, which do not use the companies’ version of contact tracing. In fact, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) recently announced that it will be taking a different approach for its contact tracing apps.
Particularly, while Apple and Google’s system propose a decentralised system of contact tracing, where the exposure events are determined on a user’s device, the NHS’ proposed system uses a centralised server. India’s Aarogya Setu too uses a centralised system for determining contact tracing. The primary difference with respect to privacy, is that a centralised system is more vulnerable to hackers or attackers, and is easier for a controlling authority to use for surveillance.
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