Apple's Exposure Notification API Now Available in iOS 14 With Fourth Beta Update

[robbysibrahim]

Many may like the idea of using an app like this but, its not for me.

The idea of using an app like this is quite literally for everyone.

 

[SSDGUY]

That's right, getting tested and quarantining yourself until you get the result.
The notification is actually more nuanced than many people think. I've seen instances when you get the info you had 1 possible contact, meaning you met a person that was later confirmed positive, but you haven't been around for more than 10 minutes. This is a mild risk. When there's a high risk, not getting tested and self quarantining could require getting your family and / or co-workers infected.
That's both unethical and a lot more unnecessary.

Worst case: The whole exposure notification doesn't help much.
Best case: You prevent yourself from infecting someone else.

We're one species, one planet. Let's work together on this, people!

Thanks for the info. Recommendations based on exposure time certainly make sense. My son-in-law is the PT director at a rehab and long term care facility and they had two residents come down with COVID-19. Fortunately they had minimal symptoms both recovered. During the state investigation, the criteria for exposure time, as to taking drastic measures to prevent an outbreak was 15 minutes for any individual who spent time with those infected patients. Apparently if you just happen to walk by somebody w/ COVID or in their proximity for a short time, seems the risk is very low.

 

[bsolar]

I don't see why we should be trusting the government with this - or even why we should be looking to the government to do this. I'd trust Apple (and even Google) to release their app for anyone to use. I'd install it in a second. Instead we have to wait for the states (in the US) to create apps.

There are open source apps using this with the source on GitHub. Hey, Apple, Google, just open it up so that anyone can use the app without the need for some government involvement. If they had done this in May, everyone worldwide would have at least one app to use.

Some of the open source apps on GitHub are indeed what the government in the relevant countries developed. E.g. the tracing app in my country was developed open source and is among those available on GitHub.

A tracing app needs an authoritative central database to be notified as of whether a contact has been deemed a risk. This database is managed by the health authorities backing the app.

In general, if you cannot trust your government's health authorities I think you have far worse problems than COVID (and not because COVID is a small problem...).

 

[tny]

Unfortunately the majority of at-risk people have old devices and cannot install these apps or OS version. Sadly Apple does not seem to be concerned.

Contact tracing isn't just for "at risk" people; anyone who is exposed could potentially develop an asymptomatic case, and if they do not quarantine until they stop shedding virus, THEY MAY KILL PEOPLE.

 

[return2sendai]

WHY IS THIS AND SIMILAR SOFTWARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE IPAD? NOT EVERYONE OWNS A DUMBPHONE!

 

[ipedro]

I’m really looking forward to this. Canada’s Covid Alert recently became available and I was considering downgrading to iOS 13 to use it. I can wait a few more days until the public beta is updated.

 

[Aston441]

The API has been designed with extreme privacy in mind; you can read the documentation.
Since you actively choose to register a positive test you can still get the benefits by running anonymously.
You would just not give anyone else any benefit since nobody would know about your positive test

I don’t want to read the documentation. The code should be publicly released for all to review. There’s no no financials involved in the code for Apple if it is what they say it is.

Release the code.

 

[damphoose]

Unfortunately the majority of at-risk people have old devices and cannot install these apps or OS version. Sadly Apple does not seem to be concerned.

This API will run on IOS13. 6S is the the oldest phone that supports iOS13. That was released in 2015. Seems like a reasonable timeframe to me.

 

[recoil80]

I don’t want to read the documentation. The code should be publicly released for all to review. There’s no no financials involved in the code for Apple if it is what they say it is.

Release the code.

The source code of the italian app is on GitHub and as far as I remember other countries have released the code of their apps.
Of course, we don't have the source code of iOS, but at least we can see what the app does with the data collected via the API.

 

[christian_koehler]

Germany has released its official tracking app as open source.
Everyone can inspect the source and many knowledgeable people did. The government has been very transparent explaining what the app does and what it doesn't. The servers are in Germany and every thing is under German privacy law (which is very strict especially when it comes to health related data).

No worries here.

And yes, the app has detected some infections that have not been found by manual contact tracing.

I don't see why we should be trusting the government with this - or even why we should be looking to the government to do this. I'd trust Apple (and even Google) to release their app for anyone to use. I'd install it in a second. Instead we have to wait for the states (in the US) to create apps.

 

[ZzapDK]

I don’t want to read the documentation. The code should be publicly released for all to review. There’s no no financials involved in the code for Apple if it is what they say it is.
Release the code.

Not sure why you would even use iOS then. It's not in the public domain and could be filled with trackers but you chose to run with that and so could equally as well choose this?
Still, it's your choice to make even though I don't understand it

Germany has released its official tracking app as open source.

Ah, apparently some official tracking apps ARE open source

 

[CarlJ]

I don’t want to read the documentation.

Why the pushback? You wouldn’t understand if the code was properly doing what was intended without knowing the intentions in detail - those are in the documentation.

 

[cyberbiker6]

Honest question: What do you do if you are notified that you may have been exposed? Quarantine yourself? Get tested each time? That seems impractical and unnecessary. I'm sure it generates a lot of interesting data, but for what?

Actually, the concept has worked for centuries. Google-Apple Exposure Notification (GAEN) Express just makes contact tracing digital AND voluntary. If those who are infected or who have been exposed to those who are infected isolate themselves, the spread of the disease stops.

Those who are notified they have been exposed will, hopefully, choose to circulate in public less than they normally would, thereby reducing the likelihood of infecting others, while they figure out whether they are infected. If they begin to develop symptoms, they would likely choose to get tested. Otherwise, after 10 days or so, they go on about their social lives.

Whether one’s state has developed a GAEN app or uses GAEN Express a link is provided to one’s state/country health agency that describes the symptoms and where to get tested, if symptoms appear.