Tracking Confirmed Cases' Movements... Korea Uses GPS, Europe and US Use Bluetooth

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] In South Korea's response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), tracking the movement paths of infected individuals played a decisive role in preventing the spread of the infectious disease. The quarantine authorities have identified these paths not only through the infected individuals' statements but also by securing various personal information such as mobile phone location tracking and card usage records.

The domestic epidemiological investigation system is based on the Global Positioning System (GPS). According to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, when the Minister of Health and Welfare requests the police for patients' mobile phone location information to prevent and block infectious diseases, the police receive location information from telecommunications operators and others and deliver it accordingly.

While the government's collection of such personal information enabled an effective response to COVID-19, some have raised concerns that it may excessively infringe on privacy. In some foreign countries, systems using Bluetooth instead of GPS location information have been introduced accordingly. A representative example is the application called "TraceTogether" released by the Singapore government at the end of last month. This app uses Bluetooth to send alerts to users if a confirmed case is within a 2-meter radius.

Across Europe, tracking mobile phones using GPS is illegal. Health authorities in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy collect real-time smartphone data to identify the movement paths of confirmed cases. The French government's app "StopCovid," currently being promoted, is similar to Singapore's case. It uses Bluetooth functionality to warn users when they come into close proximity with a confirmed case.

In the United States, Google and Apple have joined forces to develop technology for tracking the movement paths of COVID-19 confirmed cases. The smartphone app collects records of nearby smartphones through short-range Bluetooth signals, and when it detects the Bluetooth signal of a smartphone registered as infected, it issues a warning.