The NZ COVID Tracer app was developed for the Ministry of Health by New Zealand company Rush Digital and partially relies on an Amazon Web Services platform. It was formally launched on 20 May 2020. Some people were able to download it from App Store on 19 May and a Health Ministry spokesperson said later that it had been submitted to App Store and Google Play that evening and that there can be a variation in time between submitting an app and it going live. Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern described the COVID Tracer app as a "digital diary". Immediately following its initial release, several users encountered difficulties with logging into the app or using it. There were also complaints from the public that older model iPhones and Android phones were unable to download the app. In response, the Ministry announced that future updates would include support for older devices and systems. The Ministry also advised people without a compatible mobile device to keep a manual record of the people and places they have visited for contact tracing purposes. The app received an average rating of 2.6 on Google Play Store, with most complaints relating to its poor design and difficulty with finding the app. As of 20 May, more than 92,000 people had downloaded the COVID Tracer app and over 1,000 businesses had signed up to it. On 12 June, Stuff reported that many businesses were finding the app clunky to use and had to rely upon secondary apps. A poll conducted on Neighbourly found that less that 37% of respondents had downloaded the COVID Tracer app due to privacy concerns, lack of access to a smartphone, and confusion about how to use it. By 17 June, the Ministry of Health reported that 562,000 people had registered with the COVID Tracer app. 56,552 posters displaying the official QR codes had been created. There have been 1,035,154 poster scans to date.
Contact tracing
The NZ COVID Tracer app operates on Android 7.0 devices or above, and Apple iOS 12 devices or above. It allows users to scan their QR codes at businesses, public buildings and other organisations to track where they have been, for contact tracing purposes. People can also register their contact tracing details on the official NZ COVID Tracer website. Information on people's movements will be stored for 31 days by the Ministry of Health, which uses Amazon Web Services in Sydney to store the data, before being automatically deleted. First-time users are required to enter their name, phone number, email address and create a password. They will then receive a six digit code that allows them to complete the registration process. The app also allows users to store their contact details and physical address, which is provided to the National Close Contact Service in order to facilitate contact tracing in the event that the user is identified as a close contact of someone who has contracted COVID-19. The COVID Tracer app also supports two-factor authentication. While the NZ COVID Tracer app is currently only available in English, the New Zealand Government intends to include support for the Māori, Chinese, and several unspecified Pacific languages. On 10 June, the Government announced that it would be updating the NZ COVID Tracer app to allow the app to contact users who may have been exposed to Covid-19 and giving them the option of voluntarily sending their location history to public health officials.
Privacy and oversight
The NZ COVID Tracer app was developed by the Ministry of Health in consultation with the Privacy Commissioner and has also undergone independent security testing. Any personal information and contact details registered on the Tracer app are provided to the National Close Contact Service. This information is retained for public health purposes only and is not shared with agencies outside the health sector. Any information entered through the Tracer App including the locations that users sign into is stored securely on the phone and automatically deleted after 31 days. Users have the right to share information with contact tracers.
