French COVID tracing app will not ready when parliament debates it

France's state-supported tracing app project "StopCovid" will not be ready when parliament debates it on April 28-29, the minister for digital affairs Cedric O said on Friday. The smartphone app, aimed at warning users if they came into contact with a coronavirus carrier, has raised questions about the impact of tracing technology on civil liberties.

The government has not provided much technical detail on the project, which will be based on a proximity-tracking Bluetooth app that users would install on their mobile phones on a voluntary basis. A debate is scheduled in France's National Assembly on April 28-29 but no formal vote is planned.

"This app won't be finalized by April 28-29," O, a staunch defender of the tracing app, said during a video conference hearing with French lawmakers. He added that the app may not even be ready by May 11, when the government plans to gradually lift the country's nationwide lockdown.