The French government has received a favourable response to its planned StopCovid tracing app from the country's data protection authority CNIL. The StopCovid project is deemed to conform with GDPR's standards if certain conditions are respected. The watchdog is making a number of recommendations to ensure that the app complies with regulations, noting that these precautions will also support the public confidence necessary to make the project a success.
The regulatory green light coincides with the announcement of a StopCovid project team, grouping nine partners selected by the government to develop the app and build an ecosystem of contributors working on its large-scale deployment.
This work will rely on the 'tool box' recently defined by the European Commission, which has also been liaising with Apple and Google on technical issues around Bluetooth security protocols.
Inria, the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation, will be in charge of the app's operational management. Among the other nine partners, Orange will have responsibility for distribution and interoperability, while Withings will oversee interaction with connected objects. Sixteen contributors are already part of the project ecosystem, including French-based groups Atos, Sopra Steria, and Thales.
