ETSI’s ISG E4P group is developing a standardized framework for privacy-preserving proximity tracing systems to help break viral transmission chains during pandemics. This initiative focuses on creating backward compatible and interoperable applications that treat ICT as a reliable utility, similar to electricity, to support global health solutions. The group held its first meeting with record participation from government, vendors, and ethicists, and has already been referenced in the French government’s STOP-COVID application press kit. By assuming a common human immunological response to infectious diseases, these standards aim to provide a consistent technological backbone for future pandemic responses regardless of the specific pathogen.
Keywords: privacy-preserving, pandemic response, interoperability, proximity tracing, eHealth standards