Koronavilkku mobile app to be made interoperable with EU/EEA apps

The Koronavilkku mobile app will be made interoperable with applications developed in other EU/EEA countries and Switzerland. When reporting an infection via Koronavilkku, users may send information on their potential exposure to the users of similar applications developed in other countries and, reciprocally, receive information on potential exposure from them.

Amendments to the Communicable Diseases Act provide for the processing of personal data in connection with the cross-border use of information systems. 

The interoperability of Koronavilkku with applications developed in other EU/EEA countries and Switzerland may help break COVID-19 transmissions chains more effectively and prevent the spread of the epidemic in situations when application users move between countries with interoperable apps.  

At present, COVID-19 apps are interoperable in Finland, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Latvia, Croatia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Cyprus and Belgium. In addition, Austria and the Czech Republic will join the group at the turn of the year, and at the end of January 2021, interoperability will include the national applications of Norway, Estonia and Malta, and possibly Portugal, Lithuania and Slovenia. In the neighbouring areas, Sweden is not planning to develop a national application.

The Act includes provisions on the intended use of personal data, the disclosure of personal data to a designated national authority or official body in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland in order to reach persons potentially exposed to coronavirus, and on the consent of a Koronavilkku user to the disclosure of data. 

In other words, the users of the Koronavilkku mobile app decide themselves whether they wish to participate in the cross-border exchange of health data. Individual persons cannot be identified from data which will be disclosed through a secure gateway service produced and provided by the European Commission. 

Interoperability will be made possible with a new version of the Koronavilkku app which is to be launched after the first week of January.

The Act entered into force on 1 January 2021. In the same connection, it was decided that the Act will remain in force until 31 December 2021. 

Inquiries:

Outi Äyräs-Blumberg, Senior Specialist, [email protected] Joni Komulainen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, [email protected] Minna Saario, Director, [email protected]

Press release updated on 31 December 2020 regarding the countries with interoperable apps.