Governor Gavin Newsom announced the official statewide launch of
CA Notify, a new digital tool with the goal of reducing the
transmission of COVID-19. Starting today, December 10,
Californians can voluntarily opt in to receive COVID-19
notifications informing them if they have been exposed to someone
who has tested positive for the virus. The Newsom administration
states this new tool will not collect device location to
detect exposure and does not share a user’s identity.
Californians can enable CA Notify in their iPhone settings or on
Android phones by downloading the CA notify app from the Google
Play Store. Alerts notifying Californians of its availability
will begin Thursday.
The tool was developed in partnership with Google and Apple and
piloted with students and employees on the campuses of the
University California, San Diego and the University of
California, San Francisco in late September. If an individual
decides to opt-in to CA Notify, the tool will use Bluetooth
technology to exchange random codes between phones to maintain
privacy and security without revealing the user’s identity or
location.
If a CA Notify user tests positive for COVID-19, they will
receive a verification code to plug into the app, if they choose.
Any other CA Notify users who have been within 6 feet for 15
minutes or more of the COVID-19 positive individual will get an
anonymous notification of possible exposure. The performance and
privacy of CA Notify has been successfully evaluated through the
pilot project and similar programs have been launched in other
states.
The goal of CA Notify is to quickly notify individuals of any
COVID-19 exposure which allows individuals to make decisions
around quarantine and testing. The smartphone notification tool
is just one of the many tools California has designed to slow the
transmission of COVID-19.
