EU Member States Agree Specs for Coronavirus App Interoperability

Brussels-based executive said it will be responsible for managing a central gateway for national apps to 'talk' to each other.

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 16 June 2020 17:31 IST
Highlights
  • EU has agreed standards for interoperability between smartphone apps
  • The announcement coincided with the launch of German contact tracing app
  • Germany, Italy, Poland, and Latvia have launched Bluetooth-based apps

Achieving practical interoperability for such 'decentralised' apps is weeks away

European Union member states have agreed technical standards for interoperability between smartphone apps that track the risk of coronavirus infections, a step that could help revive travel and tourism, the bloc's Commission said on Tuesday.

In an announcement coinciding with the launch of Germany's app, the Brussels-based executive said it will be responsible for managing a central gateway for national apps to 'talk' to each other.

"As we approach the travel season, it is important to ensure that Europeans can use the app from their own country wherever they are travelling in the EU," Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a statement.

Advertisement

"Contact tracing apps can be useful to limit the spread of coronavirus, especially as part of national strategies to lift confinement measures," he added.

Germany, Italy, Poland, and Latvia have launched Bluetooth-based apps using technology from Apple and Alphabet's Google that logs contacts on the device, an approach backed by a majority of the EU's 27 member states.

Achieving practical interoperability for such 'decentralised' apps is weeks away, according to sources involved in discussions on the matter, which would make it possible to trace infection risks across borders.

Advertisement

© Thomson Reuters 2020


Is Mi Notebook 14 series the best affordable laptop range for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. iQOO Z11 Turbo With 200-Megapixel Camera Arrives in China at This Price
  2. Here's When the Motorola Signature Will Launch in India
  3. Nothing Confirms Bengaluru as Location for India's First Flagship Store
  4. Top Deals on OnePlus Smartphones During the Amazon Great Republic Day Sale
  5. OpenAI Rejected Apple to Focus on Jony Ive-Designed AI Wearables
  6. OTT Releases of the Week (Jan 12 - Jan 18): Taskaree, 120 Bahadur, and More
  7. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Deals on Smartphones Under Rs. 30,000
  8. iPhone 17e Launch Timeline Leaked Again Alongside Key Specifications
  9. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Deals on Premium Smartphones
  10. Realme 16 5G Specifications Leak via Retailer Listing
  1. iPhone Fold to Feature More Durable Hinge Built Using Liquid Metal Material, Tipster Claims
  2. Redmi Buds 8 Lite Launched With ANC, 12.4mm Drivers, Up to 36 Hours Total Battery Life: Price, Features
  3. Realme 16 5G Specifications Leak via Retailer Listing; to Feature Dimensity 6400 Chipset
  4. NASA Says the Year 2025 Almost Became Earth's Hottest Recorded Year Ever
  5. Wicked: For Good OTT Release: Know When, Where to Watch the Musical Fantasy
  6. Paul McCartney: Man on the Run OTT Release: When, Where to Watch the Biographical Music Documentary
  7. Civilization VII Coming to iPhone, iPad as Part of Apple Arcade in February
  8. Anantha Streaming Now: Everything You Need to Know About the Tamil Spiritual Drama
  9. Him Is Streaming Online: Know Where to Watch Jordan Peele's Psychological Horror
  10. OpenAI’s Hardware Pivot: Rejecting Apple to Focus on Jony Ive-Designed AI Wearables
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.