The European Commission has released its 'tool box' for countries developing apps to trace people with potential exposure to the coronavirus. The practical guide, developed with health and privacy specialists, is expected to help ensure the apps work across the EU and adhere to privacy regulations and the latest security practices.
The European Data Protection Board, which is made of national privacy regulators from around the EU, provided guidance on how to make the apps compliant with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation. The Commission recommends the apps be made voluntary, and disabled as soon as they are no longer needed. EU states should also make the most of the latest "privacy-enhancing technological solutions".
The apps are expected to use Bluetooth short-range technology to identify people in proximity with the virus or warn contacts of the user's status. This means the apps would not be able to collect location data on users. Any personal data should be fully anonymised, so when people are alerted of a nearby person with the virus, their identity is not disclosed.
Assuming the EU states adopt the advice, including interoperability specifications and accepted epidemiological guidance, they should be able to share best practices on tracing the virus with apps. A common approach to other functionalities, in particular on information and symptom tracking, may be developed in future iterations of the tool box, the Commission said.
As part of the coordinated approach, public health authorities are expected to assess the effectiveness of the apps at national and cross-border level by the end of April. The EU states will report back to the Commission then in May on their experiences, to share with the other countries and consider further action.
