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Science & Tech Spotlight: Contact Tracing Apps

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date July 28, 2020
Release Date July 28, 2020
Report No. GAO-20-666SP
Summary:

Contact tracing apps are a relatively new technology that can help reduce transmission rates for infectious diseases like COVID-19. Using smartphones, the apps rapidly identify and notify people who may have been near an infected person and possibly exposed.

Contact tracing apps may reach more people than traditional contact tracing, which uses public health officials to identify and notify those potentially exposed.

As policymakers consider whether to adopt the use of contact tracing apps, they will need to weigh the benefits with potential challenges, such as accuracy of the technology, adoption rates, and privacy concerns.

Illustration of contact tracing apps exchanging signals

Illustration of two people and the signals emanating from their cellphones.

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