If you test positive for COVID-19 you will get a code by SMS text message from ‘HSCresult‘. When you put that code into this app you will be asked to share the random IDs that your phone has been swapping with other app users over the last 14 days. If you agree, these ‘diagnosis keys’ will allow us to tell those people that they have been exposed to COVID-19.
So that you can use the app when travelling abroad we will securely share ‘diagnosis keys’ with other countries. This also means that apps used by visitors from those countries will work here.
The app will never track your identity or location, but it does collect some data. We will know the number of app users, the number of people in NI who enter ‘HSCresult’ codes, and the number of people in NI who are told that they have been exposed to COVID-19.
We need this data to prove that the app works, and to get it approved as a medical device.
To protect your privacy, and tell you as soon as possible if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, we use automated processing. This means that no human is involved in the process, and some people are uncomfortable with that. To be able to use this app you will be asked to turn on ‘exposure notifications’. By doing this you are agreeing to the automated processing.
The app has been developed in line with expectations published by the UK ICO (Information Commissioners Office) who have published their recommendations here.