• Data Protection

  Apple and Google block UK NHS Covid app update on privacy grounds

  Posted by Sarah on 13 April 2021 at 6:39 am

  An update to the UK’s NHS ‘Track and Trace’ app set to go live on Monday was blocked by Apple and Google due to concerns it violated a privacy rule prohibiting health authorities from collecting location data from users.

  The new version of the app was due to come into effect today to coincide with the changes to lockdown rules in England but the tech companies have kept the old version online until changes are made to ensure it complies with the data-collection measures.

  While the app is called the NHS Covid-19 app, it is controlled and developed by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. The political authority introduced a new feature that will ask users to maintain a log of venues they visit and upload it if they test positive for the virus, so others can be warned.

  The planned usage of the app would have violated an agreement all governments have made with Apple and Google to “not share location data from the user’s device with the public health authority”.

  Keep your app Johnson, you spy on us enough already

  Sarah replied 3 years, 5 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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