Government abandons own coronavirus contact tracing app to focus on Apple and Google technology

The British Government has abandoned the development of its own coronavirus test-and-trace app for a version based on technology provided by Apple and Google.

Following days of questioning over the progress of the app, the Department of Health and Social Care announced the u-turn today.

It sees the UK will following Germany, Italy and Denmark in switching to a "decentralised" model.

In a statement setting, NHS Test and Trace chief Baroness Harding and NHSX boss Matthew Gould said there had been “specific technical challenges”.

They said: “Our response to this virus has and will continue to be as part of an international effort.

“That is why as part of a collaborative approach we have agreed to share our own innovative work on estimating distance between app users with Google and Apple, work that we hope will benefit others, while using their solution to address some of the specific technical challenges identified through our rigorous testing.

Baroness Dido Harding
PA

“We will also draw on the invaluable insight from all of those who trialled the app on the Isle of Wight – and the brilliant teams who have worked on it to date – to build an app that can form part of the end-to-end NHS Test and Trace service and this insight will be integral to the next phase of development.”

"Decentralised" means data gathered by the app - including a list of contacts a person has spent time with - will be kept on individual users' devices rather than being uploaded to a central authority.

Apple and Google, who have been in ongoing talks with the UK government, have argued the model will protect users' privacy.

It is expected the new version of the app would use Bluetooth "handshakes" to keep track of users, the BBC reported.

Contact tracing apps, reported to be an essential aspect of preventing second waves of Covid-19, work by tracking when two people have been near each other for a lengthy period of time. If one user is later diagnosed, apps can go back through the individual's movements and notify anyone with whom they have recently spent a substantial period of time.

Those users would then be prompted to self-isolate.

Under the new tech giant-run model, national public health authorities would not be given information on potential infections and clusters discovered by the app, The Times has reported.

It is also likely to mean UK disease experts will have access to less data to use for further study.

The move comes the day after reports that former Apple executive, Simon Thompson, was taking charge of the project, which had been beset by delays.

The current UK app is being tested on the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England.

Ministers have admitted to technical issues with the app, which meant that it was not ready for use in time for the launch of the test and trace system in England on May 28.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government remained determined to develop an app which meets the “technical, security and user needs of the public”.

Countries across the world had “faced challenges” in developing apps, he said.

He said: “Our approach to the virus, whether that’s on vaccines, testing, treatments or cures, has been that we are willing to back innovative solutions and to be ambitious.

“We knew from the start that we would need to test and learn as we developed this new technology. The NHS Covid-19 app has undergone some of the most rigorous testing in the world – utilising a real-world trial on the Isle of Wight pilot and in a series of field tests – and I want to thank all of those involved.

“As we enter this next phase of research and development we remain determined to continue in our ambition to develop an app which meets the technical, security and user needs of the public and which can complement the NHS Test and Trace service.

“Countries across the globe have faced challenges in developing an app which gets all of these elements right, but through ongoing international collaboration we hope to learn, improve and find a solution which will strengthen our global response to this virus.”

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