Apple launched its user-friendly and helpful COVID-19 screening app and website last week. Even though the company publicly detailed it isn’t collecting responses, four US senators have asked Tim Cook for more details on the privacy policy of the app. Here’s what we found in our analysis of the app.
Apple highlights the privacy policy for its COVID-19 app and website on the main pages of each:
Apple is not collecting your answers from the screening tool. To help improve the site, Apple collects some information about how you use it. The information collected will not personally identify you.
Reported by Bloomberg, even so, four US senators have asked Tim Cook for more details:
Senators Bob Menendez, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to the company on Friday expressing concern “for the safety and security of Americans’ private health data.” They want to know about data-sharing practices and safeguards, and whether the app complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The senators are also seeking information on Apple’s agreements with federal or state governments for the development of the app, according to the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Bloomberg.
We’ve analyzed the app here at 9to5Mac and verified that it indeed does not send any data back to Apple or any third-parties, performing as Apple says it does. The only networking it includes is used to download images.
In Apple’s press release last week announcing the app and website, it also shared the following on privacy:
Consistent with Apple’s strong dedication to user privacy, the COVID-19 app and website were built to keep all user data private and secure. The tools do not require a sign-in or association with a user’s Apple ID, and users’ individual responses will not be sent to Apple or any government organization.
For a walkthrough on how to use Apple’s COVID-19 screening app or website, check out our tutorial here.
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