Facedrive Inc. (“Facedrive”) (TSXV: FD), a “people-and-planet first” business, is pleased to announce the release of a Privacy White Paper (the “White Paper”) for “TraceSCAN”, the COVID-19 contact tracing platform that intends to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while protecting users’ personal data and privacy.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200604005310/en/
The White Paper outlines the comprehensive safeguards put in place in order to ensure user data privacy and security, such as limited collection of personal information restricted to phone number and mobile device model, robust encryption carried out both at rest and in transit, rotating temporary anonymous identifiers, etc. It further expands on data accuracy, openness, governance and accountability, and explains how the TraceSCAN privacy compliance framework is underpinned by The ten Fair Information Practice Principles (or FIPPs) set out in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). The White Paper is publicly available and can be requested from the official TraceSCAN website at www.tracescan.ca. It continues to be a living document that may evolve over time.
As previously disclosed in the announcement dated May 28, 2020, TraceSCAN is a joint initiative between Facedrive Health and the University of Waterloo aiming to provide a comprehensive contact tracing solution. The TraceSCAN technology uses Bluetooth relative signal strength indicator and ethically transparent artificial intelligence (AI) to notify users who had come in close contact with individuals who had tested positive for COVID-19. It incorporates a contact tracing application and a wearable technology that alerts users of close encounters or contact with individuals diagnosed with COVID-19, which allows users to take precautionary measures and mitigates further spread of the virus. TraceSCAN’s AI platform is designed to predict any further waves of the infection and reduce future outbreaks without compromising the identity of its users or tracking their geographic movements.
TraceSCAN is a voluntary platform that requires explicit consent, collects minimal personal information, and does not use location data. All data is stored locally on the user’s smartphone or wearable device until the user encounters an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, at which time the user must give explicit consent to share their contact log for the sole purpose of notifying other individuals with which they have come into close contact. Facedrive has completed the development and testing of the TraceSCAN app and anticipates that the platform as well as the associated wearable technology will be made available for public use by the end of June 2020.
MT>Ventures, a division of McCarthy Trétrault LLP and TraceSCAN partner, assisted in the development of TraceSCAN’s privacy features and co-authored the White Paper. MT>Ventures will continue to provide ongoing guidance to ensure that TraceSCAN continues to comply with Canadian privacy guidelines, including the PrivacyAct (Canada).
“As the country begins to emerge from COVID-19 and move towards recovery, the primary focus will be to protect the physical health of people and ensure that the data required for contract tracing is secure,” said Aliya Ramji, MT>Ventures. “We are thrilled to provide guidance and extend our industry expertise in the area of privacy and data security to help propel TraceSCAN into the next phase of growth.”
“As an innovative technology company with a ‘people-and-planet-first’ business model, we believe it is Facedrive’s responsibility to contribute advanced technology solutions to our country in a time of crisis, and we are extremely pleased to be working with MT>Ventures to ensure full compliance with privacy and security guidelines in the development of this critical platform to help protect people, families and communities from this virus,” said Facedrive Chairman and CEO, Sayan Navaratnam.
About Facedrive
Facedrive is a multi-faceted “people-and-planet first” platform offering socially-responsible services to local communities with a strong commitment to doing business fairly, equitably and sustainably. Facedrive rideshare was the first to offer green transportation solutions in the TaaS space, planting thousands of trees and giving users a choice between EVs, hybrids and conventional vehicles. Facedrive Marketplace offers curated merchandise created from sustainably sourced materials. Facedrive Foods offers contactless deliveries of healthy foods right to consumers’ doorsteps. Facedrive Health develops innovative technological solutions to the most acute health challenges of the day. TraceSCAN, a voluntary digital contact tracing platform within Facedrive Health, intends to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 using the Bluetooth Relative Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) readings between phones or wearable devices. Facedrive is changing the ridesharing, food delivery, e-commerce and health tech narratives for the better, for everyone.
For more about Facedrive, visit www.facedrive.com.
Facedrive Inc.
100 Consilium Pl, Unit 400, Scarborough, ON, Canada M1H 3E3
www.facedrive.com
Forward-Looking Information
Certain information in this press release contains forward-looking information. This information is based on management’s reasonable assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to us and are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information as a result of various factors. Information regarding our expectations of future results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities or the markets in which we operate is forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not facts but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances. Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
See “Forward-Looking Information” and “Risk Factors” in Facedrive’s Filing Statement dated August 28, 2019 for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. Readers are urged to consider the uncertainties, risks and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. We have no intention and undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities law.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200604005310/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2020