Saving Lives at the Expense of User Privacy
The United States has the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths worldwide. The inability to properly stop the spread of the virus through testing and immediate social distancing orders has taken an immense toll on the economy with no clear end in sight. Efforts such as stay-in-place orders were a short-term solution, but now we must plan for the future by inventing tools to help reopen the economy.
So, how can we safely reopen the economy without increasing the number of potential COVID-19 cases and deaths?
On April 10th, two competing tech companies who account for 99.6% of worldwide smartphones, Apple and Google, announced they would come together to create contact tracing software as a mitigation strategy. This software is expected to become available mid-May.
How the Software Works
The software will be installed on users’ devices through an operating system update.
Sandy and Paul meet in person. During their conversation, their mobile Bluetooth technology exchanges identifier beacons, recognizing that they have come into close proximity.
Days later, Paul tests positive for COVID-19. He enters his positive result into the app. Paul’s phone then automatically uploads his last 14 days of activity for his network.
Sandy then receives an alert on her phone saying she came into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. She is not told the identity of Paul because the identifier beacons change about every 15 minutes.
Sandy receives information on what her next steps should be from government officials.
Concerns and Constraints
The government currently does not have any surveillance capabilities, meaning this initiative would have to scale extremely quickly.
Partnerships between the public and private sector may lead to unjust power
Governments typically regulate large companies like Apple and Google to limit their societal power. With the ability to surveillance most of the globe through this initiative, Apple, Google, and the government will have an enormous amount of data and power on users.
Lack of privacy
This initiative reveals personal information and may lead to people dishonoring or distrusting public health authorities.
False proximity detection
Such as registering close contact with people who were on opposite sides of a wall or parked next to each other with closed car doors.
Logistics to Address Privacy Concerns
This technology uses Bluetooth to trace the proximity of phones to other devices; not necessarily the specific device locations.
Every 15 minutes, identifier beacons associated with the device change in order to protect user identity; as seen in the demonstration with Sandy and Paul.
Companies claim that the data from contact tracing would remain on personal devices and not be stored on servers for external use.
Steps Needed for Implementation
The support of a rapid pilot program to expand these capabilities nationwide.
Increased testing capacity with faster results
In order for this mitigation effort to be effective, anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or an essential work role should have access to reliable testing with readily available results.
Data sharing strategies to create a systematic approach to log positive tests. A self-reporting system would enable widespread abuse.
Standardized response capacity
When a case of COVID-19 is confirmed, individuals must be properly isolated and quarantined. This process will have to be standardized. For proper steps to be taken, more information on how the virus is transmitted should be conducted.
A funding plan
Duke University’s Margolis Center for Health Policy suggested the CDC should collaborate with local and state authorities and leverage Federal funding and grants to implement this surveillance system.
Effective collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Being the first of its kind, there are many other logistics that go into this initiative, and they are rapidly changing and innovating each day. Considering constraints and time pressure, this surveillance system may not be as effective for COVID-19 as it could be for future outbreaks, but this could be a step in the right direction for protecting the health and safety of the public.