New York Attorney General Letitia James has now reportedly called on both Apple and Google to implement restrictions on contact tracing apps on their respective app marketplaces. The AG wrote to each company, expressing concerns that personal and sensitive health information might be collected by unknown developers behind the apps. Ms. James refers to those developers as ‘untrusted’ sources.
More directly, she points to apps created by third-parties. That’s because the Google and Apple co-developed exposure notification API isn’t used in those cases. Not only does the API impose strict guidelines for the use of the data. The companies set it up around requirements that apps built on it can only be submitted by health authorities.
So, third-party apps can’t use the contact tracing API and aren’t. As a result, the tighter restrictions and protections built into that aren’t enforced on those third-party apps either. And that’s resulted in a flood of apps claiming to participate in contact tracing. That’s in addition to malware being developed to take advantage of the associated global health situation.
The AG hopes to persuade the companies to enforce measures to require apps to be ‘transparent’ in their operations.
What does this mean for contact tracing app developers?
Now, only three states in the US are presently set to use the framework set up by Google and Apple. That’s left the field wide open for third-party developers to enter into the market with solutions of their own. Arguably, that’s going to increase concerns about the reach of contact tracing and its efficacy.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that not every user will be able to access the government-sponsored solution anyway. Users who don’t have a new enough device, with BLE and other requirements, won’t be able to use the apps. Coupled with genuine privacy concerns associated with the tracking anyway, the appearance of third-party apps only raises concerns.
So there are already problems, even without unorganized solutions being presented by third-parties.
Attorney General Letitia James is taking matters a step further still. She is also asking that the two companies to impose restrictions regarding exactly whether any given third-party app is allowed to be submitted for contact tracing.
Summarily, the AG wants the companies to only allow apps developed with public health authorities wherever possible. Developers of related apps that are allowed, meanwhile, should be required to divulge what data is being collected and how it’s used.
The move could force more US participation
If the Attorney General is able to convince Google and Apple to implement restrictions, the result would be fewer apps on the market. Or at least fewer apps developed outside of the government-sponsored solution.
That would arguably be good news for US consumers who may have otherwise been reliant on unvetted third-parties. While only three states are implementing the solution, Germany recently reversed course to build out its solution on Apple and Google’s framework. So the solution does appear to be viable if more states can be brought on board in lieu of third-party options.