BlueTrace

BlueTrace is a digital contact tracing protocol developed by the Singaporean government to combat the spread of COVID-19. It was first implemented in the mobile application TraceTogether, and has since been adopted by other countries and organizations worldwide.

Overview

BlueTrace is a protocol that uses Bluetooth signals to log encounters between users. When two users come into close proximity, their devices exchange anonymized identifiers, which are then stored locally. If a user tests positive for COVID-19, they can choose to upload their encounter history to a central server, where it can be used to notify other users who may have been exposed to the virus.

Design

BlueTrace is designed to prioritize user privacy and data security. The protocol uses cryptographic techniques to ensure that encounter data is anonymized and cannot be used to identify individuals. Furthermore, all encounter data is stored locally on users' devices and is only uploaded to the central server with the user's consent.

Implementation

BlueTrace was first implemented in the TraceTogether app, which was launched by the Singaporean government in March 2020. Since then, the protocol has been adopted by several other countries and organizations, including Australia, which used it as the basis for its own contact tracing app, COVIDSafe.

Reception

BlueTrace has been praised for its effectiveness in aiding contact tracing efforts. However, it has also faced criticism over privacy concerns, particularly in relation to the centralization of data.

See also

• Contact tracing
• COVID-19 pandemic
• Digital contact tracing

External links

• Official website