EU Ministers push for single EU contact tracing app but divergences persist
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EU ministers are pushing for a single EU contact tracing app to facilitate coordination between member states but divergences over the systems to implement are stalling development. Interior ministers from the 27 countries said that the right technology could potentially replace the need for border controls and checks.
However, governments found a stumbling block in the approach to data storage and processing. France is calling for a centralised system that stores information on a central server, an approach supported by the UK, too. Austria is arguing for a decentralised model, where data is processed on the users’ devices themselves.
Germany had initially backed a Pan-European Privacy Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT) project, which adopted a centralised system. However, senior figures in the Bundesregierung have indicated a move away from the technology after it received backlash.
Meanwhile, the Council of Europe also weighed in on the discussion calling for a decentralised system.
“Digital contact tracing systems should be based on an architecture which relies as much as possible on the processing and storing of data on devices of the individual users,” read a CoE statement, while admitting that both protocols carry their own risks.
EU governments are also seeking the collaboration of technology giants Apple and Google. Both companies insist that a decentralised model is more cyber-secure.
