The UK government have finally launched their official track and trace application after months of back and forth.

NetApp’s General Manager UK&I, Chris Greenwood had the below comment:

“We welcome the news from UK government that the Covid-19 contact-tracing app has finally been launched. Its success will play a vital part in controlling the spread of the virus, and preventing a second lockdown. However, due to the potentially huge volumes of geolocation data the app can collect, we have natural concerns about how Government will be storing this highly personal data of our UK citizens. It is clear that Covid-19 is not something that will just go away, and citizens should be aware that this app could be in use for the long term. As the app collects data from the individual, potentially at all times, the question is, how securely is this data being stored, and for how long? While we have absolute faith that the data collected will be used for its stated purposes, due to its highly sensitive and invasive nature we call on the Department of Health and DDCMS to put every effort into ensuring a secure, and strictly compliant service, with no storage of irrelevant personal data. Furthermore, old ‘used’ data must be deleted as quickly as possible to minimize risk to the individual and public. Ultimately, we of course support the launch of the app, but want to ensure the government use it responsibly.”