In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, New York City's transit agency MTA has encouraged Apple to accelerate the deployment of technology-based solutions to further protect users amid the global health crisis.
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MTA Chairman Patrick Foye said riders have been seen removing their masks to unlock their iPhones using Face ID, despite a recent software update by Apple that makes it easier for masked users to enter their passcode instead.
"We understand Apple is working to address the issue and know that Apple has a range of technologies at its disposal as a global leader among tech companies," Foye wrote in the letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook. "We urge Apple to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and solutions that further protect customers in the era of COVID-19."
Foye said that the MTA would be willing to collaborate with Apple to promote a recent change in iOS 13.5 that allows a masked user to swipe up on the screen to immediately bring up the passcode interface when unlocking their iPhone. This could discourage people from taking off their mask briefly to unlock with Face ID, which does not work with masks.
The report notes that the MTA lost more than 90 percent of its subway ridership during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in the New York area. Ridership is said to have slowly increased again, but still lags far behind pre-pandemic levels.
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No one has anything to lose wearing one. There is no credible scientific evidence anyone with a medical condition "cant breath" or the other nonsense claim
Unless you are part of the Freedom To Breathe Agency cult. And yes a few seconds does matter. One cough can spread millions of droplets around.
There is more than enough credible evidence that if universal mask-wearing was implemented earlier the death toll would be lower (and yes there was a lot of not sharing info early out of China, so that is not blaming anyone in the US or government directly, this was all best guess early); studies in other countries and in Asia have proved it true where their death tolls were a mere percent of the US.
Anyone questioning it belongs in the hashtag #COVIDIOT. Im not usually a PC "feelings" type of person but that attitude is a direct slap in the face to the families of the dead.
It would be wonderful out of this if Apple included both TouchID and FaceID on future phones, at least then we get the best of both worlds.
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