Exposure Notifications and AlohaSafe Alert will be shutting down on May 11th. Thank you for using this service to protect yourself and your community.
The Hawaii Department of Health is partnering with AlohaSafe to bring the Google/Apple bluetooth-based Exposure Notification (GAEN) technology to Hawaii.
Beginning Wednesday, January 6, 2021 the app is supported for all users and can be downloaded from the Google and Apple app stores.
To learn more about how the AlohaSafe Alert app works, visit https://www.alohasafealert.org/
For questions about GAEN technology and how the AlohaSafe Alert app complements the Hawaii Department of Health’s investigation and contact tracing efforts, read the privacy policy below or email the Disease Outbreak Control Division at [email protected]
Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) AlohaSafe Alert – Privacy Policy
Effective as of October 6, 2020
This Privacy Policy explains how the Hawaii State Department of Health, Disease Outbreak Control Division (DOH) collects, uses, discloses and otherwise processes the data you submit to the AlohaSafe Alert app. This Privacy Policy also describes your choices regarding the data you submit to the AlohaSafe Alert app.
ABOUT DOH AND THE ALOHASAFE ALERT APP
DOH oversees public health efforts throughout the State of Hawaii. The AlohaSafe Alert app is intended to help support DOH’s contact tracing in response to COVID-19. Contact tracing consists of notifying and monitoring individuals who have been in close contact with someone who is infected with a virus. The AlohaSafe Alert app allows users to store the data collected and processed by the AlohaSafe Alert app locally on their mobile device. A user may choose to share this data with DOH through the AlohaSafe Alert app. The AlohaSafe Alert app can notify other users if they have been exposed to a COVID-19-infected AlohaSafe Alert app user and provide instructions on how and where to get tested.
HOW IT WORKS
DOH never collects or processes any personally identifiable information from the AlohaSafe Alert app. Bluetooth random codes are assigned to each device using the AlohaSafe Alert app. Each user’s random code changes frequently to further protect their identity. When an AlohaSafe Alert user comes into close contact with another AlohaSafe Alert user, their random codes are exchanged using Bluetooth. Random codes for close contacts are stored in a user’s device for 10 days. No personally identifiable or location information is collected, stored, or exchanged.
If a user tests positive for COVID-19, they may choose to notify other AlohaSafe Alert users who may have had close contact with them. To trigger such notification, the infected user must enter a valid, 8-digit PIN provided by a DOH contact tracer during the standard case investigation. This PIN is randomly generated by DOH and only used to enter a positive diagnosis in the AlohaSafe Alert app. Once a valid PIN is entered into the AlohaSafe Alert app, a risk calculation is made using the time, duration, and Bluetooth signal attenuation (proximity indicator) for each contact event between the infected AlohaSafe Alert user and other AlohaSafe Alert users. The AlohaSafe Alert app may notify other users who are calculated to have been in close contact with the infected user if they enabled notification alerts. The exposure notification is a simple notification of an exposure. It is not a confirmed diagnosis. In addition, the AlohaSafe Alert app will not identify the infected user, including but not limited to, the infected user’s name, time of encounter, location of encounter, and encounter events.
You can learn more about how this Bluetooth random ID exchange technology works at https://www.google.com/covid19/exposurenotifications. You can also learn more about how privacy is protected through this technology at https://covid19.apple.com/contacttracing.
YOUR CHOICES:
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO USE THE APP
Using the AlohaSafe Alert app is completely voluntary. You may choose to install and uninstall the AlohaSafe Alert app at any time. The AlohaSafe Alert app will never collect, track or store your location, GPS information, or personal information. If you become infected, you have the opportunity to choose to provide your personal information to DOH directly as detailed above.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO ENABLE EXPOSURE NOTIFICATIONS
Enabling exposure notification in the AlohaSafe Alert app is your choice. You can enable and disable such notification at any time. It must be enabled for the AlohaSafe Alert app to generate and exchange the random codes with other AlohaSafe Alert users who you come into close contact. Exposure notifications also must be enabled for you to receive exposure notifications or notify other AlohaSafe Alert users if you test positive for COVID-19 by sharing the random codes through a positive report.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO NOTIFY OTHER APP USERS IF YOU TEST POSITIVE
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may choose to notify other AlohaSafe Alert users who you have been in close contact with. Providing notification to other AlohaSafe Alert users with whom you have had close contact is completely voluntary. The notification will not disclose your identity or any personally identifying information. To enable such notifications, you will need a valid, 8-digit PIN provided by the DOH contact tracer. This PIN is used to verify your positive diagnosis and prevent false reports. This PIN is not associated with your identity. After a valid PIN is entered into the AlohaSafe Alert app, you must confirm that you wish to anonymously notify other users you may have encountered. If you confirm, then all AlohaSafe Alert users who have enabled their app configuration to receive notifications will receive your Bluetooth random codes to determine if there has been any close contact with you. Specifically, their AlohaSafe Alert apps will receive your Bluetooth random codes, but they will not be able to actually view the Bluetooth random codes or otherwise determine your identity from the Bluetooth random codes. For example, these notifications will not include your identity or the date, time, or location of the encounter.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO WITHDRAW YOUR CONSENT
Consent to participate in the AlohaSafe Alert app may be withdrawn at any time by uninstalling the AlohaSafe Alert app from your device. After the AlohaSafe Alert app is uninstalled, your device will no longer generate or exchange Bluetooth random codes with other users and will delete the data stored by the app. Any Bluetooth random codes that were previously shared with other AlohaSafe Alert users will be automatically deleted after 10 days from the date the PIN was generated.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO RECIEVE PUSH NOTIFICATIONS
If you opt-in to receive push notifications within the AlohaSafe Alert app, it may send push notifications or alerts to your mobile device from time to time. You can deactivate push notifications and alerts at any time by deleting the AlohaSafe Alert app, changing your device settings, or changing the push notification settings within the AlohaSafe Alert app.
SHARING OF INFORMATION
The following event data may be processed and collected in the AlohaSafe Alert app:
- Installing the AlohaSafe Alert app
- Enabling and disabling Exposure Notifications
- Receiving an Exposure Notification
- Submitting a verified PIN
- Sharing a positive result
- Downloading anonymous tokens for positive users that have chosen to notify others
- Deleting the app
DOH may use the above event information to understand how the AlohaSafe Alert app is being used. This data may be shared with other entities to the extent allowed under the law, including Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 321-29. For example, the information may be used in aggregate and anonymous form for statistical or scientific research purposes. The AlohaSafe Alert app will not collect, track or store your location, GPS information, or personal information.
AGE REQUIREMENTS
AlohaSafe Alert is not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly allow a child under 13 to use the App. If you are between the ages of 13 and 17, you can only use AlohaSafe Alert if your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to the Terms of Service on your behalf.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
You can revisit this Privacy Policy through your app store. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes to our Privacy Policy, we will notify you by posting the changes on AlohaSafe Alert. The notification will indicate when such changes will become effective.
If you object to a new Privacy Policy, you may terminate participation in the AlohaSafe Alert app by uninstalling the AlohaSafe Alert app.
CONTACTING US
If you have any feedback, or any questions, comments, or concerns relating to this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at [email protected] or write to us at the following address:
Hawaii State Department of Health
1250 Punchbowl Street, Room 443, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813