COVID apps built on Google/Apple APIs didn’t do much
TL; DR
- A report suggests that the COVID apps used in 26 states based on Google / Apple APIs did not have a major impact.
- A very small percentage of the population used the apps. Even fewer reported positive COVID-19 test results.
- It’s clear the apps helped, but it seems the resources could have been better spent elsewhere.
When the COVID-19 pandemic really took off in 2020, Google and Apple – in a rare demonstration of unity – pledged to help. The two technology giants have developed Android and iPhone APIs that would make it easy for governments around the world to develop applications that help track infected people’s contacts.
There were 26 states that implemented the Google / Apple exposure reporting system. Only 17 provided partial data for research that Business Insider used to come to its conclusions. In Maryland, the state with the highest number of installations in 40% of the population, only 9.7% of COVID-19 cases have been logged. This is the state with the best numbers – things will only get worse from there.
If you look at the data from the 17 states, you can see that around 24.8% of residents even have one of the COVID apps installed. Of these, only about 2.14% of COVID-19 cases have actually been logged.
What happened here?
Why Don’t Americans Use COVID Apps?
There are some theories as to why Google and Apple’s efforts in the United States have failed. The most obvious ones are misinformation and distrust. The rejection of COVID-19 is widespread in the US, which could have resulted in people completely refusing to install the apps. Even people who accept that the virus is real and dangerous may not trust big tech. She could also have refused.
Additionally, the people who were inclined to install one of the COVID apps were more likely to have taken preventive measures to get them. That could be the reason why the reported cases within the apps are so low.
However, Business Insider Numbers suggest that Google and Apple in the US could have gained more benefits if they had invested resources elsewhere. For example, Google could have worked harder to contain the spread of misinformation on YouTube. Apple – one of the richest companies in all of human history – could have put more of that money into vaccine awareness and other science-based campaigns.
Of course, it’s not too late to do these things. The pandemic is still widespread and all evidence suggests that more lockdowns will follow soon.
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