Exposure Notification Tools and Their Global Adoption

Apple and Google's Exposure Notification system has been adopted by over 25 countries, including the US, UK, and Australia, to help track and contain the spread of COVID-19.

This system uses Bluetooth technology to detect when two phones are near each other, and if one of them has the virus, the other phone can be notified to take action.

In some countries, such as South Korea, exposure notifications are also being used to track other diseases, like tuberculosis and influenza.

Users are given the option to opt-in to this system, and their data is kept anonymous to protect their privacy.

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Exposure Notification uses Bluetooth Low Energy to send tracking messages to nearby devices, containing unique identifiers that are encrypted with a secret daily key held by the sending device.

The system generates a new daily encryption key every 15-20 minutes to prevent tracking by malicious third parties.

These daily encryption keys are generated using a random number generator and are used to create a Rolling Proximity Identifier (RPI) every 10 minutes.

The RPI is used as an encounter identifier when two clients come within proximity of each other.

The system retains received messages locally for 14 days, which is the same duration for which the daily encryption keys are stored.

If a user tests positive for infection, the last 14 days of their daily encryption keys can be uploaded to a central server for broadcast to all devices on the network.

The central server then provides the received keys to the protocol, where each client individually searches for matches in their local encounter history.

If a match meeting certain risk parameters is found, the app notifies the user of potential exposure to the infection.

The system uses the received signal strength (RSSI) of the beacon messages as a source to infer proximity.

Google and Apple intend to use RSSI and other signal metadata to resist deanonymization attacks.

In Version 1.0, a persistent 32-byte private Tracing Key (tk) is generated by a client, from which a 16-byte Daily Tracing Key is derived.

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This Daily Tracing Key is used to generate a Rolling Proximity Identifier (RPI) every 10 minutes.

The RPI is then exchanged and locally stored as the encounter identifier.

In Version 1.1, a new random 16-byte Temporary Exposure Key (teki) is generated every day, rather than using a persistent tracing key.

From this Temporary Exposure Key, two 128-bit keys are calculated: the Rolling Proximity Identifier Key (RPIKi) and the Associated Encrypted Metadata Key (AEMKi).

The Rolling Proximity Identifier (RPI) is then generated every time the BLE MAC address changes, roughly every 15-20 minutes.

The system uses AES encryption with a 128-bit key in CTR mode to encrypt the metadata.

The Rolling Proximity Identifier and the Associated Encrypted Metadata are then combined and broadcast using BLE.

The Exposure Notification system prioritizes user privacy, ensuring that no personally identifiable information can be obtained about the user or their device.

Apps using the system are only allowed to collect personal information on a voluntary basis, and users must provide consent before enabling the system or sharing a positive result.

The protocol prohibits collecting location data, which is a major concern for many users.

As an additional measure, the companies behind the system stated that it would "sunset" or be discontinued by region once it's deemed no longer necessary.

However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation raised concerns about the system's vulnerability to "linkage attacks", where third parties could potentially use recorded beacon traffic to track users.

Fortunately, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office has analyzed the system and found it to be "aligned with the principles of data protection by design and by default", as mandated by the GDPR.

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To implement Exposure Notification, you'll need to use a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and a decentralized architecture. This allows for secure and private data exchange between users' devices.

The Exposure Notification system relies on a decentralized architecture, which means that no single entity controls the data. Instead, it's stored on users' devices, ensuring that their information remains private.

BLE is used to detect when two devices are in close proximity, typically within 10-15 feet. This proximity is then used to calculate the duration and distance of exposure.

Version 1.0 was the initial release of the system, and it's built on a solid foundation of cryptography. A 32-byte private Tracing Key (tk) is generated by a client to start the process.

This key is then used to derive a 16-byte Daily Tracing Key, which is calculated using the HKDF function with SHA-256. The HKDF function takes the private Tracing Key, a salt value, the string 'CT-DTK' and the day number Di, which represents the 24-hour window the broadcast is in starting from Unix Epoch Time.

A new 16-byte temporary Rolling Proximity Identifier is generated every 10 minutes, based on the Daily Tracing Key and the time interval number TINj. This identifier is used as the encounter identifier when two clients come within proximity of each other.

The Rolling Proximity Identifier is calculated using the HMAC function with SHA-256, and it's truncated to 16 bytes. The client then exchanges and locally stores the current Rolling Proximity Identifier with other clients in its vicinity.

The system relies on the central reporting server to confirm infections and upload the user's Daily Tracing Key for the past 14 days. Clients then download this report and recalculate every Rolling Proximity Identifier used in the report period.

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Off-Device Check-In is a powerful feature that allows users to check-in to venues without needing to physically carry a device.

This capability is made possible through off-device sharing in an Exposure Notification app, as mentioned in the article.

To implement this feature, developers can learn from the example of adding venue check-in capabilities using off-device sharing in an Exposure Notification app.

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Deployment is a critical phase in the implementation process, where the developed solution is made available to the end-users. This phase requires careful planning and execution to ensure a smooth transition.

The deployment plan should be aligned with the project timeline and milestones, as mentioned in the "Project Timeline" section. This ensures that all stakeholders are aware of the deployment schedule and can plan accordingly.

A well-structured deployment plan should include a detailed rollout strategy, which may involve a phased or simultaneous deployment approach, as discussed in the "Implementation Strategy" section. This helps to minimize disruptions and ensure that the solution is available to users in a timely manner.

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The deployment process should also include thorough testing and quality assurance to ensure that the solution meets the required standards, as outlined in the "Testing and Quality Assurance" section. This helps to identify and resolve any issues before they impact the end-users.

The deployment team should be trained and equipped to handle any issues that may arise during the deployment process, as mentioned in the "Deployment Team" section. This ensures that the team is prepared to respond to any challenges and provide timely support to the end-users.

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WA Notify, the state's COVID-19 exposure notification app, will end on May 11. This is because the Public Health Emergency, which the app is tied to, is also ending on the same date.

Approximately 235,000 participants confirmed a positive test result in WA Notify since its launch in November 2020. This generated over 2.5 million anonymous exposure notifications.

The app utilized privacy-preserving Bluetooth technology to anonymously alert users they may have been exposed to someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19. User privacy is protected, and no GPS locations or personally identifiable information was collected or stored by the application.

WA Notify was able to accomplish a lot in a relatively short amount of time, with tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases prevented and lives saved. The app was one of the first states to implement exposure notification technology.

The Washington State Department of Health encourages people who test positive for COVID-19 to continue anonymously notifying others via the app through May 11. After that, users will no longer receive notifications they were near someone who tested positive for the virus.

Washington was one of the first states to implement exposure notification technology and consistently had one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the country.

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Our search for COVID-19 mobile applications yielded a global count of 224 apps in 127 countries.

These apps varied in their focus, but 128 of them supported exposure notification, which is a crucial feature for tracking and containing the spread of the virus.

75 of those 128 apps used the Google Apple Exposure Notification (GAEN) application programming interface (API), making it a widely adopted solution in the field.

Of the 75 apps using the GAEN API, 15 were developed using Exposure Notification Express, a GAEN turnkey solution that streamlines the development process.

The remaining 96 apps without exposure notifications focused on COVID-19 self-assessment, statistics and information, and health advice, with 35.4% and 32.3% of them dedicated to these topics, respectively.

Some countries and provinces have opted out of using Exposure Notification technology, citing concerns about its effectiveness. For instance, the Canadian province of Alberta decided not to switch to the EN-based COVID Alert from its BlueTrace-based ABTraceTogether app.

In fact, Alberta's Premier Jason Kenney argued that ABTraceTogether was a better and more effective public health tool. British Columbia also declined to adopt COVID Alert, with its provincial health officer Bonnie Henry stating that it was too "non-specific".

Here's a list of some of the countries and provinces that have declined to use Exposure Notification technology:

The Exposure Notification framework is a technology that can be integrated into apps to help track and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Some countries and provinces have opted out of using the COVID Alert system, instead choosing to stick with their own contact tracing apps.

The Canadian province of Alberta decided not to migrate to the COVID Alert system, citing that their existing app, ABTraceTogether, was "from our view, simply a better and more effective public health tool".

The province of British Columbia also declined to adopt COVID Alert, with their health officer stating that it was too "non-specific".

Some countries, like Australia, have also decided not to switch to COVID Alert, opting to continue using their own contact tracing system, COVIDSafe.

Interestingly, California initially declined to use the COVID Alert system, but later reversed course and adopted it in December 2020.

Huawei, a Chinese vendor, has developed its own contact tracing system, known as "Contact Shield", which is interoperable with Exposure Notification.

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The Framework Reference is a valuable resource for developers looking to integrate the ExposureNotification framework into their app. You can discover how to do this by visiting the API documentation.

The ExposureNotification framework is designed to be easily integrated into your app, and the API documentation provides a comprehensive guide to get you started.

To begin, view the API documentation to learn more about the framework and its capabilities.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in the use of digital exposure notification systems to support traditional contact tracing and other preventive strategies.

These systems are increasingly being used worldwide, and a plethora of COVID-19 mobile applications have emerged to help mitigate the spread of the virus.

Digital exposure notification systems are being used alongside traditional contact tracing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and a wide range of mobile applications have been developed to support this effort.

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Google and Apple have a joint policy that restricts the use of their technology to public health authorities only. This is to prevent potential abuse of the protocol.

The policy aims to avoid confusion or conflicts with other public health efforts within a jurisdiction. This is crucial for effective coordination and implementation.

As of May 22, 2023, the technology is currently active in various jurisdictions around the world.

The concept of "Background and Overview" is a crucial one, especially when it comes to understanding a topic. This section provides a broad framework for understanding the context and scope of a subject.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the use of digital exposure notification systems to support traditional contact tracing and other preventive strategies.

These systems are being used globally to help slow the spread of the virus.

Digital exposure notification systems are particularly useful in areas with high population density or where traditional contact tracing methods may be less effective.

A plethora of COVID-19 mobile applications have emerged, offering various features and functionalities to help individuals stay safe and informed.

These mobile applications are designed to provide users with critical information and tools to manage their health and well-being during the pandemic.

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