Petition · past parliament
Use COVID-19 contact tracing from Apple / Google instead of a centralised system
Rejected
20 signatures
What the petition asks
The government and NHS is proposing a custom COVID-19 phone-based contact tracing application which uses a centralised model to track and trace contacts. This should be scrapped and replaced with the decentralised contact tracing protocol developed by Apple and Google, designed to respect privacy.
Apple and Google have developed a contact-tracing protocol which carefully respects users' privacy and is reviewed and vetted by technologists worldwide.
The UK government wants to use a custom system developed in conjunction with GCHQ to track people.
The UK's centralised system by it's nature is worse for users' privacy, and is more prone to hacking.
The UK's centralised system is worse for the battery life on phones.
The UK's custom system should be scrapped and the better system used.
The UK government wants to use a custom system developed in conjunction with GCHQ to track people.
The UK's centralised system by it's nature is worse for users' privacy, and is more prone to hacking.
The UK's centralised system is worse for the battery life on phones.
The UK's custom system should be scrapped and the better system used.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
You may wish to sign this petition calling for the same action: Ensure the NHSX Covid-19 Contact Tracing App Protects User Privacy
We can't accept petitions calling on the Government to use the services of a particular company or companies, as these decisions are subject to competition and procurement rules.
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you find out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/
We can't accept petitions calling on the Government to use the services of a particular company or companies, as these decisions are subject to competition and procurement rules.
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you find out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/
Timeline
| 27 Apr 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 3 Jun 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
20
Status
Rejected
Rejected
3 Jun 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.