SINGAPORE — Almost four years after the launch of TraceTogether and SafeEntry, authorities have deleted all Covid-19 related personal contact tracing data derived from the two systems.

The only exception is TraceTogether data pertaining to a murder case in May 2020 that will be retained by the police, the Smart Nation Group announced on Monday (Feb 5). 

"This is necessary because legal applications may be made to challenge the conviction or sentence many years after the case has concluded," said Smart Nation, adding that the Singapore Police Force may be obliged to disclose the data if such situations arise.

TRACETOGETHER AND SAFEENTRY

TraceTogether, a mobile app, was launched in March 2020 to support contact tracing efforts amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Developed by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and the Health Ministry, the app worked by exchanging Bluetooth signals between phones to detect other users of the app who are in close proximity.

This allowed the authorities to identify people who had been in close contact with anyone who had tested positive for Covid-19. A physical token was subsequently developed for those who did not own mobile phones, as well as those who preferred not to use the app.

SafeEntry was a national digital check-in system that logged the details of people visiting public venues like malls and workplaces. It was integrated with TraceTogether and user had to tap their phones or tokens to check in and out of such venues.

STOOD DOWN

Part of the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act enacted in February 2021 required the government to specify a date after which digital contact tracing systems were no longer required to prevent or control the spread of Covid-19.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, as the minister in charge of digital government and public sector data governance, in consultation with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, determined the date to be Jan 5, 2024.

"This is because the risk of a severe Covid-19 outbreak requiring TT (TraceTogether) and SE (SafeEntry) to be restarted in the immediate term is low," said Smart Nation, which oversees Singapore's digital transformation and leads development of such strategies.

The law also requires the data administrator of the digital contact tracing systems must stop all data collection and ensure the deletion of any personal contact tracing data used for the purpose of contact tracing from the systems. 

All such data, except for the one related to the murder case, was deleted as of Feb 1.

REMOVED FROM APP STORES

Both the TraceTogether and SafeEntry (Business) apps have been removed from the official mobile app stores, said Smart Nation, adding that the backend digital infrastructure supporting the systems have been dismantled.

The TraceTogether and SafeEntry websites have also been shut down, it added.

TraceTogether apps on mobile phones may be uninstalled and tokens recycled at 3-in-1 e-waste bins across the island.

"TT and SE have served us well during the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic by accelerating our contact tracing efforts and enabling the implementation of community safe management measures," said Smart Nation.

"We thank members of the public for their support of the TT programme and our digital contact tracing efforts in our fight against Covid-19." CNA