SwissCovid tracing app accidentally made available to public
The Swiss army has been recruited (on a voluntary basis) to help test the SwissCovid tracing app.
Keystone / Laurent Gillieron
The public has had access to a Swiss-made contact tracing app despite it being in the testing phase and yet to be approved by parliament. The DP-3T “SwissCovid” app was openly available in the Google Play Store for several hours when access should have been restricted.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
A spokesman for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), which co-designed the app, said the mistake had been rectified on Tuesday morning. Emmanuel Barraud told swissinfo.ch that there was no way of telling how many unauthorised people had downloaded the app but that this should not affect the effectiveness of the test phase.
On Monday, employees of the Swiss army, of several hospitals and cantonal administrations, and of federal technology institutes EPFL and ETH Zurich were given access to the app on a voluntary basis as part of a large-scale pilot phase in Switzerland.
Access was successfully restricted on iPhones, but for several hours any Android user could search for the app and download it. On Tuesday morning Google Play Store said more than 1,000 people had downloaded the app, but no further details are known of the number of downloads and how many were outside the authorised test group.
Barraud said the increased data could actually help determine the effectiveness of the app during the test phase. He added that doctors had been told not to issue confirmations of Covid-19 infections to anyone outside the test group. This is needed to generate a code to alert other app users.
World first
The app employs Bluetooth technology that allows smartphones to communicate with each another anonymously.
If a person tests positive for coronavirus, everyone with whom that person was in contact in previous days – within two metres of proximity for more than 15 minutes – is alerted via the app to isolate themselves and get tested.
The Swiss authorities say the decentralised “SwissCovid” app is the first in the world to use the OS updates from Apple and Google. Parliament will debate the legal basis for the app in June and, if approved, it should be made available to the public by mid-June.
More
More
Coronavirus contact tracing app: friend or foe?
This content was published on
Contact tracing apps are being touted as crucial aids to control the spread of Covid-19. But critics warn of data privacy concerns.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Poll: 70% of residents back ‘SwissCovid’ tracing app
This content was published on
A Swiss smartphone app that uses Apple-Google technology to help trace coronavirus infections has widespread support among the population.
Government provides legal basis for SwissCovid contact tracing app
This content was published on
The Swiss government has adopted the legal foundation for the coronavirus contact tracing app, sending it to parliament for a vote.
This content was published on
Marcel Salathé, who heads the expert group on digital epidemiology, told a press conference on Friday that the system being developed for Switzerland has met interest from Google and Apple but gave reassurances as to user privacy. It will be offered by the Swiss federal government as an App that people can download on a…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.