NPR

Apple And Google Build Smartphone Tool To Track COVID-19

The tech companies say their software would protect privacy while helping public health officials trace the spread of the coronavirus.
Public health experts say tracing who people infected with the coronavirus have been in contact with is a critical step in easing social distancing restrictions.

Tech giants Apple and Google are teaming up to create a system that would let smartphone users know when they've come into contact with someone who has COVID-19.

The technology would rely on

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Like To Bike? Your Knees Will Thank You And You May Live Longer, Too
New research shows lifelong bikers have healthier knees, less pain and a longer lifespan, compared to people who've never biked. This adds to the evidence that cycling promotes healthy aging.
NPR2 min read
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, A Hard-liner Who Crushed Dissent, Dies At 63
Iran's ultraconservative president, killed in a helicopter crash, oversaw a crackdown on women's protests and was linked to extrajudicial killings in the 1980s.
NPR3 min read
Taiwan's New President Urges China To Stop Its Military Intimidation
Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te in his inauguration speech has urged China to stop its military intimidation against the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own territory.

Related Books & Audiobooks