Could Google Create a Social Distancing App
The time is coming where I will have to go out again to get some provisions. Ideally I could just go into a supermarket and get everything in one place but don't want to do that if it is crowded.
Google Maps has a traffic indicator showing when roads are busy based on mobile phone signals on a stretch of road so is it not the case that they could quickly develop an app to show where people are concentrated to aid social distancing. Supermarkets could adapt that info to give a realtime indication of how busy there stores are.
I might be underestimating the technical challenges of this but it is about time all the data that Google and Facebook etc store on us is put to some use other than targeting us for advertising.
Andrew OSullivan ● 2418d1 Comments