Apple today released iOS 12.5 for older iPhone models, bringing support for COVID-19 exposure announcements. This is a major change as it expands the contact line for iPhones that do not support iOS 14, including devices such as the more popular iPhone 6 series.
What Apple Says About the iOS 12.5 Release:
IOS 12.5 lets you choose the COVID-19 Exposure Notification System for your iPhone. The availability of the system depends on the support of your local public health authority. See covid19.apple.com/contacttracing for more information
Apple claims that iOS 12.5 includes additional “security updates” and that the release is recommended for all users. Apple today released WatchOS 6.3 for older Apple Watch models, bringing “important security updates” to users.
How do COVID-19 exposure notices work?
When a user enables the feature, the device usually sends a beacon via Bluetooth, which includes a random Bluetooth identifier. When two people are close to each other, their phones exchange and record these Bluetooth identifiers.
If someone tests positive for COVID-19, they may voluntarily report a positive test for the exposure notification application for their region. Disclosure Notice Download the list of keys for verified beacons that belong to persons whose API is similarly confirmed to be COVID-19, and check against that list. If there is a match, the user can be notified and instructed on the next steps.
Privacy is a tent of the Disclosure Notification API. Apple and Google’s Disclosure Notice The biggest privacy protection of the API is that it plays no role in how location data works. Both companies claim that these applications should collect as little data as possible, and that this Bluetooth-based approach does not require location data.
Useful links:
More 9to5 Mac coverage of exposure announcements:
FTC: We use revenue generating automated connections. Further.
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