In this March 5 file photo, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel addresses the media during a news conference, in Lansing. Nessel announced Friday that she and a bipartisan coalition of 38 attorneys general asked Google and Apple to ensure that all contact tracing and exposure notification apps related to COVID-19 adequately protect consumers’ personal information. (AP photo)

MARQUETTE — Privacy, even amidst a pandemic, still is important.

Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday that she and a bipartisan coalition of 38 state attorneys general asked Google and Apple to ensure that all contact tracing and exposure notification apps related to COVID-19 adequately protect consumers’ personal information.

The coalition asked Google and Apple to guarantee that such apps, when available to consumers, are affiliated with a public health authority and are removed from Google Play and the Apple App Store once no longer needed by public health authorities.

In a letter sent Tuesday to the chief executive officers of Apple and Google, the attorneys general acknowledged that while digital contact tracing and exposure notification tools are valuable in understanding the spread of COVID-19 and assisting public health authorities, these same technologies pose a risk to consumers’ privacy.

“Technology can provide valuable resources like digital contact tracing and enhance our understanding of this deadly virus, but that tool must be wielded appropriately so it does not infringe upon the privacy of our residents,” Nessel said in a news release. “Google and Apple must minimize these risks to consumers’ personal information, including sensitive health information.”

The coalition expressed concerns regarding contact tracing and exposure notification apps available to consumers through Google Play and the App Store, particularly the “free” apps that use GPS tracking, offer in-app purchases and are not affiliated with any public health authority or legitimate research institution.

To protect consumers without interfering with public health efforts to monitor and address the spread of COVID-19, the letters ask Google and Apple to:

≤ Verify that every app labeled or marketed as related to contact tracing, COVID-19 contact tracing or coronavirus contact tracing or exposure notification is affiliated with a municipal, county, state or federal public health authority, or a hospital or university in the United States, that is working with such public health authorities;

≤ Remove any app that cannot be verified as affiliated with one of the entities identified above; and

≤ Pledge to remove all COVID-19/coronavirus-related exposure notification and contact tracing apps from Google Play and the App Store once the COVID-19 national emergency ends.

The attorneys general also asked Google and Apple to provide written confirmation to their offices once the apps have been removed or an explanation of why removal of a particular app or apps would impair the public health authorities affiliated with each app.

Regional data collected

Earlier this spring, InvestUP worked to collect and present COVID-19 case facts for the Upper Peninsula to help draw a comparison with the rest of Michigan.

The initial intent was to further support the case for a true regional evaluation and approach to reopening due to a consistently low case count contrasted with the significant economic impact on the region’s small businesses, organizers said.

With the U.P. successfully moving into Phase 5 of the MI Safe Start plan for reopening and the increase in visitors as Memorial Day weekend occurred, the organization saw value in continuing to collect and compare the case information for the U.P. to ensure appropriate context was being offered to current, local circumstances.

“Upon our initial updates and distribution, we had a very positive response from a variety of stakeholders,” InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante said in a statement. “This feedback helped us to recognize the importance of clear and consistent data that in turn helps our residents, businesses and community leaders with their decisions as we continue to navigate a new normal and remain committed to helping the region in reopening and recovering in a safe, responsible and collaborative manner.”

The fact sheet, titled “It’s Different U.P. Here,” is updated and posted to www.Update906.com weekly on Friday mornings. Update906.com was created at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to share key resources for businesses impacted by the coronavirus through a collaborative effort by InvestUP in partnership with economic development partners from across the U.P.

For instance, it noted that as of Friday, nearly half of the U.P. COVID-19 cases were confined to one county — Marquette County — and in that county, 57% originated and were contained in one facility, the Norlite Nursing Center in Marquette. That facility recently said it is coronavirus-free.

Unemployment update

The Unemployment Insurance Agency provided an update Friday on unemployment claims related to COVID-19 in Michigan.

Since March 15, approximately 2.1 million eligible claimants have applied for state and federal benefits, with $11.4 billion in benefits paid to more than 2 million workers.

The agency also announced it has now cleared a majority of all accounts that were flagged for further identity verification due to criminal attacks. This includes clearing over 200,000 of the 340,000 active claims with claimants’ benefits resuming within days.

Over 100,000 of the 200,000 newly flagged claims were cleared as well.

“Our focus remains on getting 100% of eligible Michigan workers 100% of the benefits they deserve,” UIA Director Steve Gray said in a statement. “We are using every available resource to verify the identity of legitimate claimants whose payments are held due to increased criminal activity, including 850 dedicated employees and newly formed advanced analytics team.”

Over 93% of eligible claimants have received or are approved for benefits. Of the remaining 7% of unpaid claimants, most are flagged for suspicion of impostor fraud. Currently, 100,000 unpaid claims are flagged as potentially fraudulent while 37,000 unpaid claims are held pending adjudication for other reasons.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net