Security News > 2020 > April > Pan-European group plans cross-border contact-tracing app – and promises GDPR compliance
A European consortium based in Switzerland plans to this week launch an opt-in location-detecting app to expedite contact-tracing those who have encountered coronavirus carriers.
The new group, named Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing, promises a GDPR-compliant app that sounds a lot like Singapore's TraceTogether service, but also offers considerable detail on how the service is designed to preserve privacy.
German chancellor Angela Merkel is aware of the app and has said she'll happily run it on her personal devices.
As explained in the Indian government's announcement: "Once installed in a smart phone through an easy and user-friendly process, the app detects other devices with AarogyaSetu installed that come in the proximity of that phone. The app can then calculate the risk of infection based on sophisticated parameters if any of these contacts is tested positive."
"The App's design ensures privacy-first. The personal data collected by the App is encrypted using state-of-the-art technology and stays secure on the phone till it is needed for facilitating medical intervention."