Skip to main content

Apple and Google are facing pressure from New York's Attorney General to impose stricter privacy rules on contact tracing apps that are currently flooding their app stores (GOOG, APPL)

* New York Attorney General Letitia James has called on Apple and Google to impose stricter rules on contact tracing apps. * While both companies have set out guidelines for apps built on their "exposure notification" API, the same rules aren't enforced for third-party apps in their stores. * AG James has written to both companies requesting that only verified public health authorities can publish apps that transmit sensitive health information, along with other rules. * A recent Business Insider investigation discovered that only a few US states are interested in Apple and Google's own contact tracing technology. * Do you work at Google or Apple? You can contact this reporter securely using encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 628-228-1836) or encrypted email (hslangley@protonmail.com). * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. New York Attorney General Letitia James is asking Apple and Google to impose restrictions on contact tracing apps that are made available through their app stores. In letters sent to both companies, AG James asked for the tech giants to impose strict measures that would prevent sensitive health data being collected by untrusted sources, and would require these apps to be transparent in how they operate. As US states begin to open back up, contact tracing apps are hitting smartphone app stores, but there is a concern that many of these apps have not been properly vetted. James' letter also addresses an important difference between apps that use Apple and Google's own "exposure notification" API, which the company recently began rolling out, and third-party apps based on other technologies. For Apple and Google's own exposure notification technology there are strict guidelines in place, including a rule that only public health authorities are allowed to build apps using it. But when it comes to third-party apps, these same standards don't currently apply. A recent Wall Street Journal story shone a light on some of the poor privacy practices being used in these third-party apps. In response to that article, Apple said that contact-tracing apps are prohibited from displaying ads and offering in-app purchases. Google also pulled an app for not complying with its advertising policies. AG James is now calling on both companies to impose stricter rules pertaining to how these third-party contact tracing apps handle sensitive data, and how transparent they're being with users. "We understand that contact-tracing apps (those that do not use the exposure notification API) offered on the Google Play Store are not subject to the same requirements, and so may have different or lesser privacy protections," wrote James in the letter to Google, making the same case to Apple. The letters ask Apple and Google to only allow verified public health authorities to put apps on their app stores when these apps transmit personal health information. It also asks that these apps are upfront about the types of information they collect, how it might be used, and whether the app uses Apple and Google's own Exposure Notification API or something else. Both companies have until June 19 to acknowledge the letter. Spokespeople for Apple and Google did not immediately responded to Business Insider's request for comment. And while Apple and Google's API is now rolling out, a recent Business Insider investigation discovered that only three states are openly committing to using it, and many are uninterested in the technology. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to travel during the coronavirus outbreak
https://bit.ly/3fneapS

Popular posts from this blog

Tokyo installed see-through public toilets in a park to let people inspect their cleanliness before using them, at which point the glass turns opaque

* Two see-through bathrooms have been installed in public parks in Tokyo. * They are made from "smart glass" designed so people can see how clean they are inside before using them. The glass turns opaque when the bathroom is locked and in use. * The stalls are part of a project that is redoing 17 of the city's public bathrooms with different designers to make them more accessible and appealing. * The goal is to fight assumptions that public toilets are "are dark, dirty, smelly, and scary," said the nonprofit foundation behind the project. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Tokyo has installed two see-through bathroom facilities in public parks, allowing people to see how clean they are before deciding to use them, at which point they turn opaque. The bathrooms are made of colored "smart glass," which turns opaque when the stalls are locked, said Shigeru Ban, the architect behind the designs. You can see how it works her...
Read more

Bill Gates says the world would need as many as 14 billion doses of a coronavirus vaccine to stop the virus

* The world could need as many as 14 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines, Bill Gates said on Thursday in a blog post about the race to develop a way to make people immune to the disease. * "We need to make billions of doses, we need to get them out to every part of the world, and we need all of this to happen as quickly as possible," Gates said. * Gates said he had his eyes on eight to 10 promising candidates, adding that healthcare workers and people in low-income countries should be first in line once we find one that works. * While potential vaccines are progressing with historic speed, they're still months, or even years away, and the biggest challenge lies ahead in proving whether they are safe and effective in humans. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Bill Gates believes we may eventually need to produce as many as 14 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally and that we're anywhere from nine months to two years away from making tha...
Read more

Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck London fintech Lanistar used to raise $19 million at a $190 million valuation

* London-based fintech startup Lanistar has raised a £15 million ($19 million) funding round from Milaya Capital.  * Founded in 2019, Lanistar is building a personal financial management platform that will launch later in 2020.  * "We're expecting a huge amount of growth upon our launch and have already seen strong interest among our sign ups," Gurhan Kiziloz, founder and CEO of Lanistar, told Business Insider. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.  The coronavirus lockdown in the UK has brought the importance of managing money into sharp relief. A recent study from Money.com shows that 71% of UK households have saved cash during lockdown, and, with uncertainty about jobs and the economy looming, money management is now front of mind for many. Lanistar, a banking platform with a focus on personal finance, is one company offering tools for consumers to better manage their money. It has just raised a £15 million ($19 million) funding round from Mil...
Read more