THE UK Government is targeting Scots social media users with ads for a coronavirus tracing app which won’t work outside of England and Wales, it has emerged.
The NHS Covid-19 proximity tracing app was made available to smartphone users last week, following the successful launch of the Protect Scotland app north of the Border.
The Protect Scotland app differs from the NHS Covid-19 software. Unlike the Scottish service NHS Covid-19, which operates only in England and Wales, asks for information about the user’s location in order to provide alerts on high-risk areas.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: How England and Scotland's contact tracing apps work
The two apps cannot work simultaneously. A user can have both downloaded onto their device but Protect Scotland will only work effectively in Scotland, and NHS Covid-19 will only work effectively in England and Wales.
If a user travels across the Border frequently they will need to open the local app and turn on contact tracing in the relevant nation.
Despite this the Tory Government is pushing out UK-wide promotions on Twitter, urging users to download the NHS Covid-19 software and “protect your loved ones”.
These adverts do not state that the app is only effective in England and Wales.
The promotion reads: “Check your local coronavirus risk level in seconds. Protect your loved ones. Get the NHS Covid-19 app today.”
A series of graphics then flashes up: “Know the risk of coronavirus in your local area faster,” and “NHS Test and Trace, get the app now”.
The Department of Health and Social Care was asked several times why these adverts are being promoted in Scotland when they do not apply, but they did not respond.
A Scottish Government spokesperson told The National: “People in Scotland should download the Protect Scotland app to help suppress Covid-19, as it is the only contact tracing app that works in Scotland.
“We are taking forward work to engage with the developers of apps from other nations to try and ensure ours has shared compatibility with as many as would be practicable, so people are notified of exposures from other app users.”
The NHS Covid-19 app launched last Thursday and was quickly hit by a problem.
It emerged at the weekend that tests carried out in hospitals and Public Health England labs were not compatible with the software, so tens of thousands of results could not be uploaded. The issue was later fixed.
More than one million people have now downloaded the Protect Scotland software, which focuses on anonymous proximity tracing and is designed to be as simple as possible with minimal user interaction.
The app alerts users if they have been in close contact with another app user who has testing positive for coronavirus. It helps find contacts who you may have missed and keeps your personal information private and anonymous.
To find out more visit protect.scot
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