Whilst we will highlight some of the dangers and risks associated with this technology, the aim of this piece is to provide more detail on the technology itself, rather than a deep dive into the risks and whether or not Bluetooth technology should be used. In this piece we will focus on Bluetooth technology. Internet companies are also providing access to location data they have derived. Telecommunications operators ('telcos') are also handing over customer data which can show the cell towers phones have connected to, and therefore triangulate an individual's location. There are several different technologies in a smartphone which can be used in order to track movements such as GPS and WiFi. We have seen such examples in Singapore and emerging plans in the UK.Īpps that use Bluetooth are just one way to track location. One way to do this is to write a smartphone app which uses Bluetooth technology, and encourage (or mandate) that individuals download and use the app.
In a scramble to track, and thereby stem the flow of, new cases of Covid-19, Governments around the world are rushing to track the locations of their populace.
