UK Government Heading Towards New Standoff With Apple Over COVID-19 Contact Tracing App

The UK Government looks set for another stand-off with Apple over the country’s COVID-19 contact tracing app. NHSX, the UK health service’s digital transformation unit, is understood to want check-ins using QR codes to be a feature of the software. However, Apple is said to have rejected such a feature when another government that tried to do something similar (via Sky News).

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock

Apple and UK Set to Clash Again Over COVID-19 Contact Tracing App

In July, the UK government announced a change in direction for its tool, saying it would use the framework created by Apple and Google instead of going it alone as it had originally tried to. At the time, Health Secretary Matt Hancock blamed Apple’s privacy policies that restrict apps using Bluetooth to measure proximity for the failure. The government now wants the software to include “Fitbit-style” alerts that tell people that they could be at risk of catching the disease, as well as QR code-power check-ins. The UK’s much-delayed app may then be heading for another bump in the road, and lawmakers for another row with Apple.

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