UK considers virus-tracing app to ease lockdown

> But the academics say no-one should be forced to enrol - at least initially.

A third party app...

Everyone in tech seems to want to get in on the coronavirus and do something, but nobody seems to know what to do. We're on our 500th tracking website, but the real areas we can make change nobody is doing anything.

The big tech companies have such an insane reach that they could make the difference, if they wanted. Facebook, Apple (via iOS, macOS), Microsoft (via Windows, Outlook), Google (via Android, Search, Gmail), have reach to basically everyone across the globe.

If they wanted to implement something like what King's College London did[0], but into their actual OS rather than as a third party app which won't be downloaded as much, the reach would be incredible. Then, without even having to 'abuse' privacy rights, the government could triage supplies and services, have well-defined lockdowns, and understand and control the spread better.

The results? I'd guess a less frustrated population and less extensive, yet earlier, lockdowns. Better triage of supplies and resources. More data for scientists and a better understanding of the disease, with more data points. Ultimately, less deaths.

[0]: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/new-symptom-tracking-app-aims-to-...