This app can help us resume activities after the lockdown," Technological Innovation and Digitalization Minister Paola Pisano told Reuters.Italy was the first European country to be hit hard by the coronavirus and has suffered more than 34,000 deaths. A lockdown drove infection rates sharply lower, but fears remain of a renewed flare-up later this year.The government's call for a tracing app originally met resistance from privacy advocates and opposition politicians, but many Italians are warming to it. Every time we use our smartphone our data is profiled much more massively than this app can. "The app has so far been switched on in just four regions, accounting for 8 million of Italy's 60 million people. Right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini is still withholding support: "Until there is a total guarantee on privacy protection I won't download anything at all," he said.

Source: Economic Times June 12, 2020 02:37 UTC