This is a second try for the Singapore government's TraceTogether token – a wearable device that can detect if you've had close contact with someone infected with the coronavirus. On June 28, the first batch of TraceTogether tokens were handed out to vulnerable seniors. 

The new generation of TraceTogether tokens is a wearable that can be helpful for groups who do not have access to mobile devices. Each token has a unique QR code and a battery life of six to nine months, with no charging needed.

The token works by exchanging Bluetooth signals with other nearby TraceTogether tokens or phones with the TraceTogether app.

If the user is detected to be close to someone infected with the coronavirus, he/she will get warnings from an officer from the Ministry of Health (MOH) contact tracing team. The government will only collect data from users who are confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus. The data will only be kept for up to 25 days.

According to the Singapore government, nearly 2.1 million people has downloaded TraceTogether phone app since March.

In a survey conducted by Singapore-based polling group Blackbox Research on the motivations for downloading the app, 45 percent of  respondents said their main consideration is they "did not want the government tracing their movements."

But the government clarified the token is not connected to the internet and Bluetooth only transmits radio signals over a short range. The data cannot be picked by cellular towers.

Also, the token has no GPS, making it impossible to capture geolocation data. It only catches proximity data of other tokens or phone apps through Bluetooth technology.

Another survey from LKYSPP Institute of Policy Studies said 59 percent of its interviewees thought the app is necessary for people who are "entering public places, like shopping centers and wet markets." The survey also shows nearly half of its respondents said they do not mind the authorities using mobile data without user consent.