Apple is effectively dictating to governments the privacy levels that their contact-tracing apps must meet.
Apples approacharguably fitsa wider narrative about the company being heavy-handed in determining what apps are allowed on iPhones.
The company has just been made the subject of anEU antitrust investigationfor similar reasons.
There are also limitations to the alternative Apple/Google model that could make contact-tracing apps less effective.
Such apps have already launched in numerous countries.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
But thisfell foulof Apples restrictions, which favor keeping the data on peoples phones instead the so-called decentralized model.
Developers also have to contend with aspecial addendumto the App Stores standard legal agreement.
Apple did not reply to requests for comment in time for publication.
Absent the same restrictions on Android phones, the app was recognizing users around 75% of the time.
Google and Apple have justified their restrictions as being to protect user privacy.
And, indeed, privacy advocates favortheir model.
Privacy is certainlypivotal to user confidencein contact-tracing apps, but its less clear where the line should be drawn.
There are important limitations to the Apple/Google approach.
For one thing, it doesnt allow apps to share the bang out of phone each person uses.
The NHSx app used this to more accurately estimate the distance between people, to reduce false-positive alerts.
The decentralized system sends alerts only after a user has reported that they have tested positive for the virus.
Waiting on a confirmed test result might well be too late to prevent the virus from spreading.
France, too,clashed withthe iPhone operating system maker.
In the end,it launcheda centralized app earlier in June that destroys all information held after 14 days.
Privacy is undoubtedly important, but this situation raises wider questions about tech companies in modern life.
These compete with apps that Apple itself makes, on the platform whose rules it sets.
But like with third-party apps more generally on the App Store, Apple acts as a gatekeeper.
Even if youre an elected government amid a pandemic.
Dictating terms to companies is one thing; dictating to countries during a global pandemic is another.
