Digital Contact Tracing: Large-Scale Geolocation Data as an Alternative to Bluetooth-Based Apps Failure
The currently deployed contact-tracing mobile apps have failed as an efficient solution in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. None of them have managed to attract the number of active users required to achieve efficient operation. This urges the research community to re-open the debate and explor...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Electronics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/9/1093 |
| _version_ | 1797535183258255360 |
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| author | José González-Cabañas Ángel Cuevas Rubén Cuevas Martin Maier |
| author_facet | José González-Cabañas Ángel Cuevas Rubén Cuevas Martin Maier |
| author_sort | José González-Cabañas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The currently deployed contact-tracing mobile apps have failed as an efficient solution in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. None of them have managed to attract the number of active users required to achieve efficient operation. This urges the research community to re-open the debate and explore new avenues to lead to efficient contact-tracing solutions. In this paper, we contribute to this debate with an alternative contact-tracing solution that leverages the already available geolocation information owned by BigTech companies that have large penetration rates in most of the countries adopting contact-tracing mobile apps. Our solution provides sufficient privacy guarantees to protect the identity of infected users as well as to preclude Health Authorities from obtaining the contact graph from individuals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:41:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eea4beef31094a9398fb198c8785eade |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-9292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:41:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Electronics |
| spelling | doaj.art-eea4beef31094a9398fb198c8785eade2023-11-21T18:28:25ZengMDPI AGElectronics2079-92922021-05-01109109310.3390/electronics10091093Digital Contact Tracing: Large-Scale Geolocation Data as an Alternative to Bluetooth-Based Apps FailureJosé González-Cabañas0Ángel Cuevas1Rubén Cuevas2Martin Maier3Department of Telematic Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, SpainDepartment of Telematic Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, SpainDepartment of Telematic Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, SpainInstitut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montréal, QC H5A 1K6, CanadaThe currently deployed contact-tracing mobile apps have failed as an efficient solution in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. None of them have managed to attract the number of active users required to achieve efficient operation. This urges the research community to re-open the debate and explore new avenues to lead to efficient contact-tracing solutions. In this paper, we contribute to this debate with an alternative contact-tracing solution that leverages the already available geolocation information owned by BigTech companies that have large penetration rates in most of the countries adopting contact-tracing mobile apps. Our solution provides sufficient privacy guarantees to protect the identity of infected users as well as to preclude Health Authorities from obtaining the contact graph from individuals.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/9/1093COVID-19contact tracingFacebookGooglegeolocationprivacy |
| spellingShingle | José González-Cabañas Ángel Cuevas Rubén Cuevas Martin Maier Digital Contact Tracing: Large-Scale Geolocation Data as an Alternative to Bluetooth-Based Apps Failure Electronics COVID-19 contact tracing geolocation privacy |
| title | Digital Contact Tracing: Large-Scale Geolocation Data as an Alternative to Bluetooth-Based Apps Failure |
| title_full | Digital Contact Tracing: Large-Scale Geolocation Data as an Alternative to Bluetooth-Based Apps Failure |
| title_fullStr | Digital Contact Tracing: Large-Scale Geolocation Data as an Alternative to Bluetooth-Based Apps Failure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital Contact Tracing: Large-Scale Geolocation Data as an Alternative to Bluetooth-Based Apps Failure |
| title_short | Digital Contact Tracing: Large-Scale Geolocation Data as an Alternative to Bluetooth-Based Apps Failure |
| title_sort | digital contact tracing large scale geolocation data as an alternative to bluetooth based apps failure |
| topic | COVID-19 contact tracing geolocation privacy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/9/1093 |
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