Ross Anderson

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the UK has confirmed that there are plans for an app that warns users, if you have recently been near someone with a suspected infection with the coronavirus.

The health Secretary to Matt Hancock announced the movement to the government daily pandemic press briefing.

He Said that the NHS works was "closely with The World 's leading tech companies" to the initiative.

But an expert, who advised that the trouble of doubt about him.

The Bbc has learned that NHSX - health-service-to-digital Innovation Unit - test a pre-release version of the software with the families in a safe place in The North of England in the next week.

At present, the idea is to explain that people who are self-diagnosed with coronavirus Will be able to, your status in the app.

The software Will then send the equivalent of a yellow Warning to all other users that you have recently been in the vicinity for a longer period of time.

If you are confirmed by a medical test, that the original user is actually infected, then a stronger Warning - effectively a Red Alert to be sent is signaled, instead, that The Other users should go in the quarantine.

tested To the report is positive, should the user to enter a confirmation code that you Will receive, in addition to your Covid-19.

Mr Hancock, signaling that the app usage is voluntary, in the short remarks he made.

"If you are sick with the symptoms of the coronavirus, you can safely say that this new NHS app," he explained.

"And the app Will then send an Alarm anonymously to other app users that you can contact in significant in the last few days, even before she had symptoms, so that you know, and act accordingly.

"All data Will be treated according to the highest ethical and safety standards, and would only be used for the NHS care and research.

"And we Will not keep it as necessary. "

His reference to a Band with tech companies, was a nod to Apple and Google, on Friday announced that they were working on a software module, known as an API, which Will make it easier for others to build, contact-tracing apps.

NHSX not aware of this project before, but now plans to integrate the technology into their own products.

Its system to track devices, the came close to each other, by recording them, when they recognized each other's Bluetooth signals.

An advantage of the use of Apple-and Google-API-is that the NHS app not to employ workarounds to keep the monitoring of the signals, even if the app is not active.

part of The Reason why Apple and Google say they developed was their own idea, to ensure that iOS and Android users' privacy is not compromised.

your method is so designed that citizens can initiate and receive alerts without The Authorities Will be notified of who was involved.

But a cyber security expert that has been consulted are listed on the app,

The University of Cambridge Professor Ross Anderson :

"I recognize the overwhelming power of the public health arguments for a centralized system, but I also have 25 years of experience with the NHS as incompetent to develop systems and always breaking promises to your privacy, when you collect manage, the data is of value to someone else," added The Professor of security engineering.

"I'm really worried about is collecting a lot of easily anonymised data in a system that Will be embedded in a whole-of-government response to the pandemic. We get rid of never. "

The Behavioural Insights Team - a private company, also known as the Nudge Unit - is to download advice to the government on How To encourage so many people and use of the app as possible.

NHSX believes More Than half of the population has to go outside to be there for automated contact tracing to be effective.

google, coronavirus lockdown measures, self-isolation, nhs, apple

Source of news: bbc.com