Page 81 - SAMENA Trends - May 2020

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

In those countries that have a personal data protection Apps developed by governments to fight COVID-19
law in place, data sharing can be required in certain Five MENA countries have developed contact tracing apps:
circumstances either for the public interest (this is the case • The apps in three of the five countries use Bluetooth technology with
in Qatar and Tunisia) or to prevent a pandemic (Algeria and GPS. In the UAE, only Bluetooth is used, while Jordan currently uses
Bahrain). only GPS, with Bluetooth planned to be added at a later stage.
• In Bahrain, Qatar and UAE, users' health status is stored and managed
In Jordan, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia, telecoms centrally, and pushed onto users' devices automatically.
operators have specific obligations to protect the personal • In Jordan, the user's data is stored on the user's device, with no
data of their subscribers, which prevent sharing except in personal information being required during registration. In Tunisia, the
certain cases. user's data is stored in a central server and is accessible by health
authorities.
In the UAE, the consumer protection regulations of the • Jordan, Tunisia and UAE have made the use of the app voluntary
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority allow providers for everyone. In Bahrain, the app is mandatory only for people in
to disclose subscriber data if the disclosure is made in quarantine, while in Qatar the app is mandatory when anyone leaves
response to a lawful request from any competent authority their home.
in relation to matters involving the public interest.

Contact tracing apps in some MENA countries
(Cullen International)

Country App name Installation on devices, is it Underlying technology used Data retention User’ health status pushed to the app
& App logo & developper voluntary or mandatory? for contact tracing period
Bahrain
BeAware developed by Minis- Mandatory for people in Yes
try of Health and the eGovern- quarantine. From two to six weeks But only for the people in quarantine to track active cases
ment Authority
Voluntary for others and provide contact tracing updates
Jordan
AMAN developed for the No
Ministry of Health by a group Voluntary Two weeks App users are not identified by health authorities.
of tech volunteers ” COVID-19 No personal information required during registration
JOTECH COMMUNITY” procedure.
(in a second phase)
Qatar Mandatory Yes
Based on the registered users ID, health authorities push the
For all people when they leave users health status into the app.
their homes. Each user will be linked to a QR code. Once scanned,
EHTERAZ developed by Two months as a it shows users health status according to the following
categories:
Ministry of interior Not having the app installed maximum
could lead to a fine of $55,000
or three years in jail, in Healthy Suspected case
maximum.
Infected In quarantine
Tunisia No
But users data such as mobile number are stored in a
E7mi developed by central location and it is accessible by health authorities.
Observatory of Emerging Voluntary Two weeks
Diseases (ONME) Health authorities may use the mobile number of the
suspect cases to call them and advise them to test, self-
isolation or quarantine
United Arab Yes
Emirates
The app changes it color to indicate the user status as
Al Huson developed by registered by the health authorities:
National Emergency Crisis and Voluntary Information not
available
Disaster Management Not tested yet Tested Infected
Tested and Need to be tested or retested
healthy (suspicious case)
How Bluetooth contact tracing apps work
Contact tracing apps exchange anonymous unique identifiers using Bluetooth technology to collect information when users' devices
come into proximity with other devices for a given duration, along with the geolocation information if the app also collects such data.

If the user confirms that he is infected with the virus, the app sends an alert to all other app users who have been in contact with that
user. The app may also provide relevant information from health authorities on the steps to be taken, such as advising the user to get
tested or to self-isolate, and which authorities to contact.

81 MAY 2020