Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Tuesday said it would release data that could help inform public health authorities on whether people are driving less during lockdown orders to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
The data is gathered by counting the number routing requests from Apple Maps, which is installed on all iPhones, and comparing it to past usage to detect changes in the volume of people driving, walking or taking public transit around the world, Apple said.
The information is being updated daily and compared to a date in mid-January, before most U.S. lockdown measures were in place, Apple said. More than 90% of Americans are under stay-at-home orders and various lockdowns are underway in countries around the globe.
The information, available on a public website here will show changes for major cities and 63 countries or regions, Apple said.
Apple does not provide the absolute number of requests or a specific number of people moving, instead expressing the data as a percentage of requests compared its mid-January baseline.
