Apple says it is making mobility data from Apple Maps available to governments and health officials around the world so as to provide insights into slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook tweeted that the data will help authorities learn how to stop the spread of COVID-19.
While protecting your privacy, we are sharing aggregated mobility data from Apple Maps to help public health authorities learn how people travel in their communities and to provide valuable insights to stop the spread of COVID-19. Stay safe and healthy! https://t.co/Nok77HKIXN
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 14, 2020
The mobility data will show a graph of how people in a city or a region are moving. Apple is organising the data specifically for health-care professionals and governments. Thus, providing them with downloadable information to help them see if people are staying indoors or otherwise.
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Apple says it generates the information for the COVID-19 Mobility Tool by “counting the number of requests made to Apple Maps for directions.”
“The data sets are then compared to reflect a change in volume of people driving, walking or taking public transit around the world. Data availability in a particular city, country, or region is subject to a number of factors, including minimum thresholds for direction requests made per day,” Apple said in a release
At the moment, the mobility reports are available for only 63 countries or regions. Apple said the information will only be available for a limited time. It also says it doesn’t keep a history of users’ locations. This assures users that their rights to privacy are not infringed upon.
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