The Canadian government launched its COVID Alert app on July 31 in Ontario. The app has been downloaded 1.9 million times since then, but questions persist about privacy and efficacy.

The app is considered secure by privacy advocates and technology experts, including the federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien.

The app’s stringent privacy measures ensure data is stored on individual phones. Without a centralized data cache, determining the efficacy of the app is difficult. However, international consensus now suggests only 15 per cent of the population needs to use a contact tracing app for it to positively impact public health results.

The app is available on newer model Apple and Android phones. When someone with the app is diagnosed with COVID-19, they are given a one-time code to use. Once inputted, this code alerts others who use the app that they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 recently. The app uses Bluetooth to discover nearby users.

Source: CBC.ca