Jersey COVID Alert app (FOI)

​Request

A

Please advise what ever happened to the Covid-19 app developed at great taxpayer expense by Tony Moretta?

B

How many downloads remain active? Is it still in official use?

C

How much did the development cost the taxpayer?

Response

A

The Jersey COVID Alert App continues to function. As at 29 July 2021 there have been 57,539 downloads. The app was not developed by Tony Moretta; ‘Nearform’ were commissioned to develop the app by the Government of Jersey.

B

There are approximately 35,000 users who are using the app on a daily basis who have agree to share usage metrics with us. There remain an unknown number of additional individuals using the app who have not agreed to share metrics or usage data. The app is still in official use. The software is updated regularly, and the content is regularly reviewed to align with the latest guidance on COVID-19.

C

The app was developed by an external software development firm, NearForm. The contract value is commercially sensitive, therefore Article 33(b) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied in order to preserve commercial interests. There have been no additional internal resource costs.

Article applied

Article 33 (b) - Commercial Interests

Information is qualified exempt information if –

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Public Interest Test

Whilst we accept that the public may have an interest in the cost of Government of Jersey contracts, we believe that details of the contract value are commercially sensitive and that the release of this data could affect the negotiation of future contract values.