Developers are building and testing an opt-in automated system to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But will anyone use it?
May 13, 2020

In a rare act of cooperation, Google and Apple this month released specifications for software developers to build digital contact tracing apps for Apple and Google mobile operating systems, which jointly encompass the majority of smartphones around the world.

Digital contact tracing, which can automatically notify an individual if they’ve crossed paths with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, has been proposed as a way to augment manual contact tracing, which requires the painstaking work of thousands of trained workers per state to identify, track, and assist individuals exposed to the virus.

As digital contact tracing technologies advance, two questions rise to the surface: Will state health officials and individuals opt to use the technology? And, if so, how well will it work?