Developers From MIT And Harvard Create An App To Slow Down COVID-19 Spread

A team of developers who are from MIT, Harvard, the Mayo Clinic, Google, and Facebook are attempting to turn their idea into a perfect app that can help slow down the spread of COVID-19. Their app will operate like a COVID-19 siren, which means the app will alert anyone crosses along those who are positive for the virus when they hit one button on this app. This idea might be good on paper; however, it is said to have tons of troubles such as privacy and users’ adoption in reality. 

The cash-free app which is called Private Kit: Safe Paths was developed by a squad of 4 tech specialists and academics in the free time. Its beta can be downloaded now for iOS and Android. 

The’s app developers claim that the first and foremost issue to be solved is addressing the privacy concerns of users. They suggested who using the app should only share encrypted data removed by the app with a node-free network. There will be a data transference when the users want to share with others or authorized researchers and individuals, rather than one entity holds all the users’ data.

However, this approach seemingly has no effect on the issue and the need for a wide range of the app’s adoption. Therefore, a massive health organization will be a great help for them. 

According to Wired, the World Health Organization has already approved to support the Safe Paths app. 

Additionally, this is not the first app created with the aim of discouraging the spread of diseases. Back then in 2011, an app called FluPhone was developed by Cambridge University scientists with a similar purpose. Unfortunately, it failed because only one percent of the people in Cambridge had it on their phones. 

Another apparent issue with the worldwide adoption of an app like this is not a matter of choice because of other resources. On a large scale, the solution might work on certain middle-class assumptions only.