Italy’s Ministry of Health has launched a national contact tracing app for use on smartphones to help track COVID-19 contacts in the country, CNN reports. The “Immuni” app uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with other smartphones in proximity, but protects sensitive user information.
“The app is able to determine that contact has taken place between two users without knowing who those users are and where the contact occurred,” said the Milan-based company Bending Spoons, which developed the app.
If the device’s owner tests positive for COVID-19, with their consent a health care operator will transfer their device’s encrypted code to a server, and then those individuals who also downloaded the app and have been is close contact with the infected person will receive a notification, the Health Ministry statement explained.
