Two major technology rivals team up to fight coronavirus. Apple and Google have announced a joint initiative to track COVID-19 through contact traces on Android devices and iPhones to slow its spread. And both companies have pledged to do so while respecting user privacy.

In a post by both Apple and Google, the two companies declared a "joint effort to enable governments and health agencies to use Bluetooth technology to curb the spread of the virus, while keeping user privacy and security at the center of the design."

Contact tracing has been discussed before, but concerns about giving away too much access to cell phones have sparked debate over the ethics of the method.

Apple has shared several white papers online, and press releases emphasize privacy.

"Privacy, transparency, and consent are paramount in this effort, and we look forward to building this feature in consultation with stakeholders. We will openly release information about our work so that others can analyze it."

Historically, privacy has been a conflict between Apple and Google, even over how much user data Apple would allow Google to obtain from the iPhone Maps app. This ultimately led to the creation of Apple Maps.

Because COVID-19 can be transmitted by being in close proximity to an affected person, public health officials have identified contact tracing as a valuable tool for stopping the spread of the disease.

Contact tracing, in this implementation, uses bluetooth communication to create an opt-in network that allows official apps from public health authorities to access this data.

Contact tracing will become more powerful now that Apple and Google have released an API that "enables interoperability between Android and iOS devices that use public health authority apps." This part of the project is expected to begin in May.

And people who download and use these apps can use them to report whether they have been diagnosed with COVID-19. It will then be used to alert other participants if they are in close contact with an infected person.

This process may expect a lot of people to act and participate, but it is certainly better than doing nothing.

Subsequently, in the coming months, Apple and Google will collaborate to "create a broader Bluetooth-based contact tracking platform" by incorporating similar functionality directly into their respective operating systems. According to the press release, this is "a more robust solution than an API, allowing more individuals to participate if they choose to."

However, as Casey Newton of The Verge reports, Bluetooth may not be the best solution, even though this method is arguably better for individual privacy, as its distance limitations may allow for false positives.