Germany changed course on Sunday over which type of smartphone technology it wanted to use to trace coronavirus infections, backing an approach supported by Apple and Google along with a growing number of other European countries.
FILE PHOTO: A sign with distancing rules and the notice that masks must be worn, is seen at the entrance of a shop, as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in Erfurt, Germany, April 24, 2020. REUTERS/Karina Hessland
In Europe, most countries have chosen short-range Bluetooth ‘handshakes’ between devices as the best approach, but have differed over whether to log such contacts on a central server or on individual devices. Although Bluetooth-based smartphone contact tracing is an untested technology and early results in countries like Singapore are modest, its development is already redefining the relationship between the state and individual.
Germany’s change of tack would bring its approach into line with that taken by Apple and Alphabet’s Google, which said this month they would develop new tools to support decentralized contact tracing.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Apple and Google are tweaking plans for tech to help officials track coronavirus exposureApple and Google still plan to release APIs to let governments use signals picked up from smartphones to alert people who may have been exposed to someone infected with Covid-19. On Friday, they announced some privacy tweaks and other changes.
Read more »
Ex-Apple employees are attacking the mask shortage problem, and they're starting with rubber bandsThe founders of Fix The Mask are holed up together in a San Francisco apartment working on developing a safe and easy protective mask.
Read more »
Fiona Apple's Albums, Ranked: Critics’ PicksAll five of Fiona Apple’s albums are must-listens, but with a spectacular new entry, &39;Fetch the Bolt Cutters,&39; here are all of Fiona Apple&39;s albums, ranked.
Read more »
Tech titans Apple and Microsoft propel Wall Street rallyWall Street rallied on Friday, led higher by Apple and Microsoft as investors finished a turbulent week of trading and some states prepared to relax coronavirus-related lockdowns.
Read more »
Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd Comedy Lands at Apple With Series OrderApple TV+ has handed out an eight-episode, straight-to-series order for the limited comedy series starring WillFerrell and PaulRudd that is based on the Wondery podcast
Read more »
A European Contact-Tracing App Might Be More Privacy-Invading Than Apple and Google’sThe major European contact tracing technical coalition has found itself at odds with both smartphone manufacturers and privacy advocates.
Read more »