A new COVID-19 tracing app called COVIDSafe was launched in Australia on Sunday and has already amassed more than 2 million downloads in just a matter of days. The app is voluntary and is designed to aid health authorities in tracking what individuals a COIVD-19 patient may have come into contact with. By Tuesday midday, 2.44 million people had reportedly downloaded the app.
Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt stated that the massive download rate exceeded government expectations as he praised the country for embracing their part in preventing the virus’s spread. COVIDSafe uses Bluetooth signals to track when two individuals are close to each other. This function has raised privacy concerns from industry professionals, while others worry about data harvesting. The app’s developers have stated that it does not have location tracking services or geolocation capability.
Read More: 2 million Australians have downloaded a coronavirus contact tracing app
