"How Apple and Google Let Your Phone Warn You if You've Been Exposed to the Coronavirus While Protecting Your Privacy"
Virginia has joined the ranks of states that have enabled app-less COVID-19 exposure notification services for iPhone users. The implementation of such services allows iPhone users in those states to get exposure alerts without having to install exposure notification apps. The services use the coronavirus exposure notification system developed by Apple and Google for iOS and Android, which have been updated to work without apps. This system uses the universal Bluetooth short-range wireless communication technology. Coronavirus contact-tracing apps are being used around the world to alert people if they have encountered a person who has tested positive for the virus. However, these apps have raised concerns about privacy as many of them report the identities of exposed people to public health authorities. Several exposure notification projects, including PACT, BlueTrace, and COVID Watch, have been established, taking a similar approach to Apple's and Google's initiative to protect privacy. Researchers from Boston University, whose focus areas are security and privacy in wireless communications, have examined the Apple-Google exposure notification system's specifications, effectiveness, and privacy implications. Although the Apple-Google exposure notification system has a high level of security, it still does not guarantee privacy. According to the researchers, hackers could still track or identify people using different methods, involving the advertising address used by Bluetooth LE devices when broadcasting on an advertising channel, rolling proximity identifiers, and more. This article continues to discuss the use of COVID-19 exposure notification apps and app-less services, as well as findings from the study of the Apple-Google exposure notification system's specifications, effectiveness, and privacy.