Apple and Google announced on Friday that the two technology giants are going to work together to enable the use of Bluetooth in order for governments and health agencies to carry out contact tracing of people affected by coronavirus in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, while keeping privacy and security in the forefront, according to a release issued by the companies.

Across the world, governments and health authorities are working together to find solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, to protect people and get society back up and running. Software developers are contributing by crafting technical tools to help combat the virus and save lives.

In this spirit of collaboration, Google and Apple are announcing a joint effort to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus, with user privacy and security central to the design.

Since COVID-19 can be transmitted through close proximity to affected individuals, public health officials have identified contact tracing as a valuable tool to help contain its spread. A number of leading public health authorities, universities, and NGOs around the world have been doing important work to develop opt-in contact tracing technology.

To further this cause, Apple and Google will be launching a comprehensive solution that includes application programming interfaces (APIs) and operating system-level technology to assist in enabling contact tracing. Given the urgent need, the plan is to implement this solution in two steps while maintaining strong protections around user privacy.

First, in May, both companies will release APIs that enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps from public health authorities. These official apps will be available for users to download via their respective app stores.

Second, in the coming months, Apple and Google will work to enable a broader Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform by building this functionality into the underlying platforms. This is a more robust solution than an API and would allow more individuals to participate, if they choose to opt in, as well as enable interaction with a broader ecosystem of apps and government health authorities.

Privacy, transparency, and consent are of utmost importance in this effort, and we look forward to building this functionality in consultation with interested stakeholders. We will openly publish information about our work for others to analyze.

"All of us at Apple and Google believe there has never been a more important moment to work together to solve one of the world’s most pressing problems. Through close cooperation and collaboration with developers, governments and public health providers, we hope to harness the power of technology to help countries around the world slow the spread of COVID-19 and accelerate the return of everyday life."

Google's website explained how this will work.

If you have a phone and you cross paths with someone who ends up testing positive for coronavirus, you may be alerted that you've come in contact with coronavirus.

Google's site says the apps won't collect personally identifiable information or user location data and "people who test positive are not identified to other users Google or Apple." Apps will store location for about 14 days. The data will "only be used for contact tracing by public health authorities for COVID-19 pandemic management" Google says.

Importantly, this is opt-in contract tracing, which means users will need to agree to be tracked if they want to participate. Contact tracing can allow health officials to monitor the spread of coronavirus by seeing who has been in close contact with infected people.

Apps have been used in other countries, like Singapore, where phones with contact tracing apps record encounters between people and store data in phones for 21 days. In Singapore, Bluetooth signals record when people are near one another but the locations of folks using the app is not collected.

"Privacy, transparency, and consent are of utmost importance in this effort, and we look forward to building this functionality in consultation with interested stakeholders. We will openly publish information about our work for others to analyze," the companies said.

On March 27, Apple announced a COVID-19 screening website and app that it built with the CDC and the White House. It doesn't provide tests, but asks a series of questions about risk factors, recent exposure and symptoms. Then, it provides a recommendation on what people should do next. It also teamed up with Stanford on an app that connects first repsonders to drive-through COVID-19 tests.

Alphabet's Verily also has a site that directs people to local testing locations in the San Francisco area, including San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Separately, Google has its own COVID-19 informational site. It also helped New York State create an online unemployment application. Google is also already helping public health officials to track whether social distancing mandates are being followed.