Covid: Exposure notification developed by Apple, Google begins rolling out in India

The ‘Exposure Notification’ solution developed by US tech majors Apple and Google, and launched last month, has started rolling out on iPhone and Android devices in India. The solution, which is an API, or an application program interface, enables contact-tracing apps developed by governments and public health agencies to function reliably.

Notably, India’s contact-tracing platform Aarogya Setu is not compatible with the ‘Exposure Notification’ solution.

Apple and Google have developed a set of privacy protocols, under which developers of contact-tracing apps are required to agree to the terms and conditions set by the companies, mainly pertaining to privacy, should the developers wish to add the functionality to their apps. These terms and conditions empower the users to explicitly opt-in to use the technology, prevent collection or use of location data from the device, etc.