BEYOND BORDERS
The approach Europe chooses will have wider
implications beyond the practical level of
developing tracing apps that work across
borders, including the many found in the EU.
“How we do this, what safeguards we put
in, what fundamental rights we look very
carefully at,” will influence other places, said
Michael Veale, a lecture in digital rights at
University College London who’s working on
the DP3T project. “Countries do look to Europe
and campaigners look to Europe,” and will
expect the continent to take an approach that
preserves privacy, he said.
COUNTRY BY COUNTRY
European countries have started embracing
the decentralized approach, including Austria,
Estonia, Switzerland, and Ireland. Germany and
Italy are also adopting it, changing tack after
initially planning to use the centralized model.
But there are notable exceptions, raising the
risk different apps won’t be able to talk to each
other when users cross Europe’s borders.
EU member France wants its own centralized
system but is in a standoff with Apple over a
technical hurdle that prevents its system from
being used with iOS. The government’s digital
minister wants it ready for testing in “real
conditions” by May 11 but a legislative debate
on the app was delayed after scientists and
researchers warned of surveillance risks.
Some non EU-members are going their own
way. Norway rolled out one of the earliest - and
most invasive - apps, Smittestopp, which uses