Just as we expected, Apple and Google aren’t wasting any time getting developers ready for their coronavirus tracking collaboration. Today, the companies announced that they’re seeding the first versions of their COVID-19 exposure API to devs working together with public health authorities. It’s sort of like a beta release, which will hopefully let developers kick the tires and prepare for the API’s full release in mid-May.

The two companies have already detailed their privacy measures for the pandemic tracking API. Most importantly, they plan to encrypt Bluetooth metadata. They’re also implementing policies like generating smartphone keys randomly every day, so you can’t easily be associated with a single device. Additionally, they say the API will only be able to track contact with others for 30 minutes at most, and that transmission risk level will only be calculated on users’