Ketju Application (Archive Page)
The Ketju application was a mobile app designed to digitally identify and alert individuals exposed to the coronavirus. The app is no longer in use. This page is an archive article about the service’s operation and background.
What Was Ketju?
Ketju was a mobile application developed during the coronavirus epidemic to help identify and notify exposed individuals. The app used Bluetooth technology and anonymously recorded information about the proximity of other users. This way, possible exposure could be detected and users notified quickly.
Ketju did not replace contact tracing and testing carried out by health authorities but complemented and sped up the process. The app reduced the workload of healthcare professionals and offered citizens a way to participate in epidemic control. The application was developed by Reaktor, Futurice, and the cybersecurity company Fraktal.
How the Ketju Application Worked
- The user downloaded the application to their smartphone and activated it when moving outside the home.
- If the user spent enough time near another Ketju user, the application anonymously recorded the encounter.
- The app did not collect personal data or location data – all encounters were registered anonymously.
- If the user developed symptoms suggestive of a coronavirus infection, they could get tested with a doctor’s referral.
- After receiving a positive test result, the user received a PIN code from the doctor, allowing them to share the infection information anonymously with other users of the app.
- Previously encountered users were notified via the app of possible exposure and instructed to contact healthcare services.
- Exposure notifications were visible only to the user themselves. Authorities also did not have access to encounter data.
News and Events During the App’s Operating Period
24 April 2020
A pilot was started at Vaasa Central Hospital, where healthcare staff tested the Ketju application and its backend system for coronavirus contact tracing.
18 May 2020
The pilot phase of the Ketju application began at Vaasa Central Hospital.
This page serves as an archive of the Ketju application’s history. The app is no longer available for download or use.