
Show HN: A decentralized and anonymous contact-tracing app - raphaelj
https://github.com/RaphaelJ/covid-tracer
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raphaelj
Hi, OP here,

I started working on this app a couple of weeks ago, trying to improve
Singapore's model of using Bluetooth tracking by adding data anonymization and
decentralization features.

I ended up with a solution that is similar to the D3P-T, with some
implementation differences.

The app is available as an APK for Android [1]. As for now, the iOS app is not
easy to distribute, as Apple does not allow coronavirus-related apps to be
published on the app store.

\--

[1] [https://github.com/RaphaelJ/covid-
tracer/blob/master/release...](https://github.com/RaphaelJ/covid-
tracer/blob/master/releases/android/covidtracer_0.1.apk)

------
yamoriyamori
The design (bluetooth broadcast, temporary hash/tracer keys, & DB with
timestamped 'positive' keys) are the major pieces I would expect for this
solution, but with the Apple+Google partnership for Covid contact tracing
(announced April ~10) what features/technology, in your opinion, could they be
bringing to their solution? (Besides their heft of possibly being able to
'push' this feature/app into their phones.)

(Thank you for the succinct README. Still boggles my mind when these are not
written well.)

~~~
raphaelj
The Apple+Google solution is technically very similar.

The main issue with contact tracers today is on iOS: Apple does not allow an
application to perform a Bluetooth scan if the application is not on the
screen and the phone unlocked. Apple and Google solution is thus to provide a
tracing API that would allow such scanning capabilities if for contract
tracing.

The details are not well known yet, so it's hard to say what will be the
privacy issues. We don't know how the API will be implemented either, it could
be totally opt-in if provided as a signed application instead of an OS update.

Really appreciate the remark about the README as English isn't my native
language.

~~~
yamoriyamori
I am really surprised this didn't get more upvote/attention on ShowHN.
Understood your project is facing massive headwinds with App store
restrictions, but this is what tech/SW could be doing to help 'flatten the
curve', and with data/privacy I'd hope there would have been a very robust
discourse on the underlying tech for implementing contact tracing.

~~~
raphaelj
New discussion here: [https://github.com/RaphaelJ/covid-
tracer/blob/master/README....](https://github.com/RaphaelJ/covid-
tracer/blob/master/README.md)

