Apple and Google have announced that they will be working together on one Bluetooth which will work seamlessly between Android and iOS devices. The two companies own the two most popular mobile operating systems in the world, and their move for an interoperable Bluetooth is likely to cause mixed reactions.
The news came after a joint statement Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), and Google for allowing proximity monitoring between Android and iOS device owners.
"Initially in May, both companies will release APIs that will allow Bluetooth interoperability between Android and iOS devices, developing applications for public health principles. "These official applications will be available to users for download through the respective app Stores", the statement states.
Apple and Google plan to create a Bluetooth monitoring platform that will allow users to participate and share their tracking history with the various government health authorities that monitor its spread coronavirus.
Both companies had to answer questions from US senators in recent days. which concerned the site data for COVID-19 and collection practices data. Proximity apps could help a lot in automated detection of contacts, which may be crucial to the resumption of normal life and economic activity in the coming weeks.
"Through close cooperation with developers, governments and public health services, we hope to harness the power of technology to help countries around the world slow down the spread of COVID 19 and accelerate the return of everyday life," the joint statement said. statement.
In terms of security, a draft documentation of the Bluetooth technology and cryptology to be used has been published. The draft states that the contact detection method will use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and a 32-byte tracking key, cryptographically protected code, to record contact between devices.
Proponents of privacy in favor of decentralized Bluetooth surveillance from smartphones call it one of the most up-to-date contact methods available today.
ACLU and cybersecurity lawyer Jennifer Granick said the effectiveness of contact detection applications should depend on trust and voluntary use, and that there should be no central repository of user data.
“Apple and Google have announced an approach that appears to mitigate the worst risks privacyand data collection, but there seems to be room for improvement. We will continue to monitor to ensure that the tracing app remains voluntary and decentralized and is used only for public health purposes and only during this pandemic,” Granick told VentureBeat.
