The government has unveiled a plan to deploy a contact-tracing smartphone app that will send notifications to users who may have come into contact with people infected with the new coronavirus, touting it as minimally intrusive in a bid to secure the widest possible adoption of the app.
A special task force dubbed the Anti-COVID-19 Tech Team disclosed details about the app, slated to debut next month, on Tuesday.
Employing a technology codeveloped by internet giants Apple Inc. and Google Inc., the app automatically exchanges Bluetooth signals between users and later sends “exposure notifications” to those who have been in close contact with patients who test positive for COVID-19.