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Internet of Things (IoT) startup Nodle.io has launched a new app to help trace the spread of COVID-19.
Called Coalition, the contact tracing app uses Nodle’s Bluetooth Low Energy-powered network to communicate with nearby devices. To keep the users’ privacy, the app only records the anonymous encounters with other Coalition users locally on the phone, Ledger Insights reported.
It generates random anonymous IDs of the user’s identity using an open protocol called Coalition Whisper Tracing. If a user declares that he is sick, the anonymous IDs from the phone are sent to the cloud. The app on another user’s phone will then download the “infected” IDs and compare it with the IDs stored locally. Users who come in contact with the infected persons will be notified.
“We believe the only way to stop COVID-19 is through massive cooperation and solidarity between citizens around the world who can do their part to protect themselves and their communities,” said Micha Benoliel, CEO and Co-Founder of Nodle. “We must work fast to put the right safeguards in place before we reopen society and put economies back on track.”
The app will be released next week in California with the help of local leaders. Coalition’s partners include Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator, NY Tech Alliance, TCN Coalition, and COVID Alliance to name a few.
Nodle is the world’s largest ecosystem of connected devices, providing infrastructure, software and access to data for the Internet of Things. The firm has a strong community with over 10 million smartphones on its network. It anonymizes data to protect the user’s privacy.
Nodle has a diverse set of applications because it offers an easy way to locate IoT devices and connect them on the cloud. It is useful in supply chain, consumer electronics and even in sensors and machines because it allows for easy updates synchronization and status monitoring.
Meanwhile, Israeli spyware firm NSO Group Ltd also developed a product to track the spread of COVID-19. According to reports, the founders and investors of the firm have also supported blockchain companies.
