Ever since GDPR started being designed in Europe, we have been seeing stories about European governments challenging US tech companies about their use of data and their respect for privacy.
Now France is challenging Apple to relax its normal rules for identifying bluetooth users in the vicinity and sharing that data. This is an important test case and Apple is no doubt cautious about agreeing to contribute data on users to a central government-run database.
France is asking Apple Inc. to remove a technical obstacle that it says is delaying a government contact-tracing application designed to contain the coronavirus spread.
Apple’s operating system prevents contact-tracing apps using its Bluetooth technology from running constantly in the background if that data is going to be moved off of the device, a limit designed to protect users’ privacy. That limitation is standing in the way of the type of app that France wants to build, Digital Minister Cedric O said.