iPhone maker refuses to help with StopCovid app
France accused Apple of undermining efforts to fight against coronavirus, as the smartphone maker iPhone refused to help make them more compatible with StopCovid’s contact tracking application.
France Accuses Apple of undermining efforts to fight against coronavirus
Smartphone apps are being developed in many countries that are designed to help control the spread of coronavirus and begin to boost the economy.
Applications rely on the Bluetooth interface, which allows you to interact with nearby devices to help determine when a user makes contact with people who are potential carriers of the virus.
On iPhone, access via Bluetooth is blocked if the user does not launch the application using him. France asked Apple to change the settings so that the application could connect via Bluetooth in the background, but Apple refused.
“Apple could help us make the iPhone app even better. They did not want to do this, – quotes the source of the Minister of Digital Technologies of France. “I regret this, given that we are in a period when everyone is mobilizing to fight the epidemic, and a large company that is so successful economically does not help the government in this crisis.”
The minister said he could not explain the reason for Apple’s decision. According to him, the application should be ready for deployment on June 2, regardless of Apple’s position, and will enter the testing phase next week, when the country begins to lift the lock.
Apple representative in France declined to comment.
Among devices sold in France in the first quarter, 21.1% are iOS devices. The rest of the market belongs to Android.
