The use of Bluetooth in contact tracing has been widely supported on the Continent but there is disagreement there on how to implement it.

A German approach called  Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT https://www.pepp-pt.org) conflicts with a Swiss approach, called DP-3T,  which links into the Google-Apple contact tracing app.

PEPP-PT is seen as centralised – storing informstion on government computers – which could lead to government abuses.

DP-3T is decentralised storing information at the edge on individual devices.

PEPP-PT’s claims the support of  Austria, Germany, France, Italy and Malta. 

DP-3T claims to have the support of Spain and Switzerland.

The debate has split scientific opinion across Europe:

“Solutions which allow reconstructing invasive information about the population should be rejected without further discussion,” stated 300 scientists from 25 countries in an open letter.