iOS 13.5 has been available in public beta since last night. This new iteration of Apple's mobile operating system has some notable new features,as described here. One of them concerns the COVID-19 coronavirus. We know that for several weeks now, Google and Apple have been working on a project to monitor the expansion of the virus via smartphone.
Well a new option calledCOVID-19 Exposure Notificationsseen in iOS 13.5 could constitute a first stone in this large and complex edifice of surveillance of the pandemic.
This new option in iOS settings can be activated or deactivated. When enabled, it allows iPhone to use Bluetooth to share a unique identifier with other iPhones nearby. Thus, with this exchange of identifiers, the user can be notified if they have recently been close to people at risk for COVID-19. These people must obviously also have activated the same function on their smartphone, both iOS and Android. Note that the user can also anonymously share their diagnosis to strengthen the database and clarify the state of the pandemic.
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside)April 29, 2020
The new functionality also comes with new APIs allowing third-party developers to take advantage of these tracking tools.
More details about this projectare delivered by Apple and Google here.
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By : Keleops AG
Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.
