- A team from DigiByte and Antum ID have teamed up to build a contact tracing app
- The app came in the top 3 during the EUvsVirus hackathon
- The team from DigiByte and Antum ID is entirely self-funded, unlike the other top two teams in the EUvsVirus hackathon
As COVID-19 ravishes the planet, more and more governments are quickly searching for ways to slow down the spread. Unfortunately, manual contact tracing is proving to be a sticking point for many governments, allowing for potentially infected people to slip through the net.
In a bid to make contact tracing fully automated, a hackathon dubbed EUvsVirus has emerged, with teams from around Europe battling it out to create the best contact tracing application.
Members of the DigiByte and Antum ID team have decided to team up and create an outstanding contact tracing mobile app. During the first round, Covid-19 Alert – the name of the app the Digibyte and Antum ID team is making – was selected as one of the top three teams and they have made it through to the next round of hackathons. The winning app will be adopted by countries around Europe and potentially around the world.
Proud! Next Step in EUvsVirus: Invited to the Matchathon organised from 22 to 25 May by European Innovation Council!! All Results : https://t.co/e7SaWGBB0T Full info: https://t.co/j1erCZRyrv #Blockchain Supported by Devs from @DGBAT_Official @DGB_Foundation @DigiByteCoin pic.twitter.com/ciHDd5kjhs
— Jan Muyldermans (@JanMuyldermans) May 11, 2020
A True Act of Selflessness from the DigiByte and Antum ID communities
The other two top teams in the hackathon have both received funding to help create their applications, but the DigiByte and Antum ID team has had no corporate funding, making this milestone even more significant. Selflessness and striving for the best for the community is rooted in the DigiByte and Antum ID mantra, so it comes as no surprise that these heroes are creating this application out of love and desperation to end COVID-19’s hold over the world. As always, you can pick up your very own DGB coins from the ever charitable changeangel, while giving back to those in need at the same time.
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The impressive application works flawlessly on Android and iOS devices, meaning it’s incredibly easy for mass adoption of the app to take place. Once installed on a mobile phone, it will lay dormant until the two devices comes close to another device running the app. The two apps will share a log with one another in the background, allowing users to get a notification if someone they came in close proximity to tests positive for the virus.
To prevent 3rd parties changing the code of the app to send and receive more data than is necessary, Covid-19 Alert utilizes blockchain technology to validate the code and prevent the code from being edited. This is a huge positive for the app as it allows users of the app to ensure that private data isn’t being stolen surreptitiously by 3rd parties.
No Government Snooping
One of the best parts of this app is that it’s truly decentralized. This means that nobody controls the app and can snoop through your personal data. The issue with government-controlled apps is that they request far too many permissions and can potentially allow the government to rummage through your personal messages, activity and calls. Covid-19 Alert puts freedom back in your hands, making it a go-to app for individuals that don’t fully trust their government.
Hopefully the amazing team from Digibyte and Antum ID can push on through and win the hackathon so we can see this blockchain-based, truly decentralized COVID-19 tracing app launch to citizens all around Europe!
Good luck, heroes!
