Contact tracking: The battle of the apps

Apps on smartphones should make contacts traceable in times of coronavirus. The Luca app wants to become the nationwide solution, but a start-up initiative is fighting back.

Smudo wants to turn the big wheel with his app Luca and provide the nationwide solution for contact tracing. The co-developer is part of the band Die Fantastischen Vier, which has brought the young start-up a certain amount of attention. But it is not the only app on the market. An alternative is the Recover app from the "Wir für Digitalisierung" initiative, which is now publicly speaking out against the nationwide introduction of the Luca app.

Initially, this is not surprising, as the two providers are competitors. "Wir für Digitalisierung" is now arguing that a uniform introduction of one app would automatically exclude all others. The Corona-Warn-App, which was also introduced nationwide and without an alternative, has not been a great success either. To date, only over 25 million people in Germany have the app, which is still not enough for reliable tracking.

"Wir für Digitalisierung" is an initiative of several start-ups that are all working on digital solutions for challenges such as contact tracing during the coronavirus pandemic. It is in favor of linking several contact tracing apps to create a "collaborative, open and shared interface", which should also include the Luca app.

Smudo doesn't think this is a sensible idea, as he made clear on Anne Will's show last Sunday: "Then FC Bayern comes along with its app - or a hotel business from the other side with its hotel app," said the singer. He considers the parallel use of several apps to be wrong.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was the first federal state to introduce the Luca app across the board. At a press conference, Angela Merkel spoke out in favor of the more intensive use of apps when stores, restaurants or events are open, favoring a nationwide solution. However, a decision on an app has yet to be made.