Italy Launches Its Own Coronavirus Tracking App, Powered By Apple-Google Notification API

03/06/2020

Countries in Europe have finally begun rolling out COVID-19 contact tracing apps that take advantage of Apple-Google Exposure API.

Shortly after Latvia launches its Apturi Covid (Stop Covid) 'contact-tracing' tool, Italy followed suit by launching Immuni.

Just like Apturi Covid, Italy's Immuni is a contact tracing app is designed to alert users if they've been exposed to COVID-19 through the ‌Exposure Notification‌ API. It's a privacy-focused app that requires users' consent to work.

When it's given permission, the app allows its users to know that it logs random ID contact with other users, with date, duration, and signal strength of an exposure shared with the app.

The app utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy to anonymously detect nearby smartphones within close proximity, present for longer than 15 minutes that also have the app installed.

And again because it's privacy focused, all the information it collects is only kept on user's device, and is automatically deleted after 14 days.

Italy's Immuni app for Apple iOS
Italy's Immuni app for Apple iOS.

According to Italy’s Ministry of Health:

"Immuni is the official exposure notification app of the Italian government, developed by the Extraordinary Commissioner for the COVID-19 Emergency, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Innovation Technology and Digitalization. The app is developed and released in full compliance with the protection of the user’s personal data and with current legislation, including the law-decree of April 30, 2020, n. 28."

The app has good explanation to present itself as a way to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, by detailing how it works in terms of privacy and security.

It also sets itself a reminder for users that it is not a substitute for doctors and does not diagnose for COVID-19, describing that it is only a “tool in the fight against this horrendous epidemic.”

Apple-Google Exposure API highlights that their contract tracing API works via anonymous Bluetooth tokens that are automatically randomized, with data that is encrypted, having no requirement for GPS/location data, and having all of its processing is done on users' devices.

And because the API in the app requires users' consent, the Italian government reiterates that the more people that use it, the more effective it will be, saying that at least 60% of the population would have to use Immuni to make it effective.

"Immuni is a valuable tool in the fight against this horrendous epidemic, and every single user increases its overall effectiveness. It is strongly recommended to install the app, use it correctly, and encourage friends and loved ones to do likewise. However, nobody is compelled to use it. It is entirely the individual’s choice."

Italy's Immuni app was developed by Milan’s tech firm Bending Spoons.

Italy has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, which has already claimed about 33,500 victims. Since early May, the government has been gradually easing lockdown restrictions on citizens’ movement and business activities, but there is concern that a a second wave of contagion can happen due to the relaxed rules.

And this app, which is mandatory to download and install, is meant to help prevent that from happening.

Latvia and Italy are the second and third countries, respectively, to introduce an app that uses Apple's API.

The first was Switzerland, which released its SwissCovid app, initially for members of the Swiss army, hospital workers, and civil servants.