Coronavirus: IDF report details digital track options for Israel, world

"Western countries are struggling to access the information needed to carry out epidemiological investigations with wide-scale efficiency,” according to the report.

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
A man wears a face mask for fear of the coronavirus as he takes the train to Haifa, on March 17, 2020 (photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)
A man wears a face mask for fear of the coronavirus as he takes the train to Haifa, on March 17, 2020
(photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)
For digital surveillance and contact tracing of coronavirus patients to be successful in a democratic society, there needs to be an appropriate balance between developing effective technology, ensuring its widespread dissemination and maintaining public confidence, according to a new report by the IDF Intelligence Corps.
“Most democratic societies thus far prefer preserving privacy rights over using invasive, state-run technology,” the report said. “As such, Western countries are struggling to access the information needed to carry out epidemiological investigations with wide-scale efficiency.”
The Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center, which is overseen by the IDF Intelligence Corps in cooperation with the Health Ministry, released the report on Tuesday. It reviews technology opportunities for tracking coronavirus patients and stopping the infection chain.
It comes the day after the coronavirus cabinet hit an impasse over whether to reinstate Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) surveillance. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for assistance from the security agency, but the Shin Bet said it does not want to be involved unless “there is no alternative solution.”
The topic of Shin Bet surveillance is expected to be addressed at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Epidemiological investigations have been essential for curtailing the spread of the virus internationally.
The report highlights the opportunity for users to download an app that lets them know if they have been in close proximity with a sick patient. However, the report notes that in Western countries, where these apps are voluntary, their distribution has been low, even less than 10%, making it difficult to learn about their effectiveness.
In Israel, the Health Ministry developed Magen, which can tell people if they have been in the presence of anyone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus. Recent reports indicate that the developers are working on improving the application and making it Bluetooth-enabled.
Another idea, according to the report, is to use a QR code at businesses or other establishments. The code would be scanned on entry. This is recommended because most infection occurs in closed spaces, and it “has relatively low impact on the privacy of the citizen,” the report said.
“This is a middle-ground approach” that does not require the individual to download an application, but rather the business, it said.
Other options include surveys or asking sick patients to reveal their location history in their phones once a diagnosis is made.
“In our opinion, the very existence of any location-monitoring app, such as Google Maps, should be used during the epidemiological investigation to help the individual recall where he has visited – assuming he willingly cooperates with the investigation,” the report said.
Efforts are underway, mostly in nondemocratic countries, to use technology to “catch” people who are breaking isolation through reviewing security-camera footage, smartphone records or tapping into data accessed via cellphone, credit-card or banking companies.
Austria, France and Germany have all recently launched applications similar to Israel’s Magen. Austria designed the “Stopp Corona-App,” which uses an anonymous contact diary that logs personal encounters using a “digital handshake.” The idea is that if a person becomes infected with coronavirus, all those who “digitally shook hands” with that person will be automatically informed that one of their contacts shows signs of an infection, and they will be asked to isolate. The infected person remains anonymous.
However, out of a population of nine million, only 400,000 people have downloaded this application, the report found.
France’s “StopCovid” app and Germany’s “Corona Warn App” warn users if they have come into contact with anyone infected with the coronavirus. It has been downloaded by roughly 2% of the population.
Germany’s app suffered from setbacks because of disagreements over data privacy and functionality, so it only launched on June 16. For the app to be effective, about 6% of the population must download it, German health experts said. The IDF report did not include information about the number of Germans using it so far.
For the app to be effective, about 6% of the population must download it, German health experts said. The IDF report did not include information about the number of Germans using it.
In contrast, Hong Kong and South Korea, for example, are leveraging extensive surveillance technologies. In Hong Kong, people retuning to the country from abroad are given a digital tracking bracelet that they must wear at all times for 14 days. The isolates are under surveillance and risk fines if they violate their quarantine.
The digital bracelet has a QR code. The wearer downloads a tracking app called “StayHomeSafe” and scans the code. The code is received by the cellphone that allows the connection between the application and the bracelet.
The app knows where the isolates are at all times. If it senses a change, it sends an alert, and the bracelet needs to be scanned to confirm location.
In South Korea, authorities leverage information through credit-card companies and by watching footage on security cameras, in addition to other more standard protocols. Businesses are operating using the QR code check-in, and any company that does not implement the procedure is threatened with a fine.


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