Data from Covid-19 app MyTrace kept on phone, not govt servers, says Khairy

PETALING JAYA: Data collected by the MyTrace application used for Covid-19 contact tracing is kept only on the phone and not on government servers, says Khairy Jamaluddin (pic).

The Science, Technology and Innovation Minister (Mosti) said the authorities would be publishing the source code for the application soon so that people could see for themselves.

“We should be publishing it soon so that, at least, those who are technically-inclined can make sure the codes confirm what I am saying,” he told BFM in an interview on Friday (May 8).

MyTrace is a contact tracing app that uses Bluetooth to measure how long a user’s phone has been in proximity to other MyTrace users.

If a MyTrace user is diagnosed with Covid-19, this would allow the government to track and contact those who might have contracted it from them. The data stays on the phone for 21 days.

The application only works if the user’s Bluetooth is turned on.

Khairy said that Google and Apple were strict with the use of Bluetooth technology, and those who used their application programming interface (API) had to make sure the data was not stored in any centralised government server.

“It is decentralised on the user’s phone.

"Whoever you have been in close contact with, I can’t access that unless you give me permission at the point of you being tested,” said Khairy, adding that this kind of application was used all over the world.

He also said that the application did not collect the geo-location data of users.

He added that they did not want to force people to use the application, but was rather hoping for the voluntary adoption of it.

The application is currently available only on the Android platform, but Khairy said that it should be on the Apple play store soon.

So far, the application has been downloaded more than 100,000 times from the Google Play Store.