Are COVID-19 passports a good idea, in terms of indicating whether or not an individual has been vaccinated. Aside from the ethical and legal issues that are present, the security of whatever form of digital passport is developed also needs to be considered. This is not least because of the highly sensitive information contained within the software, as well as the possibility of fraud occurring.
As governments and enterprises worldwide look to put systems in place to determine proof of status (such as a means to share a person’s coronavirus vaccination records or test COVID-19 status in a secure way), Joe Palmer, President of iProov and US-based, says that before there is a wholescale adoption everyone should take time to consider the ramifications.
Palmer provides four things to consider to Digital Journal. He presents these as:
- The proof needs to be secure. Public confidence will be lost if it’s easy to use fake credentials, either on paper or via a device.
- It needs to be convenient. The person presenting the credential needs to be able to do so easily and quickly. Individuals checking the credential also need to be able to complete the check easily and quickly and have complete assurance that there hasn’t been any deceit. They shouldn’t have to judge on the spot whether the person presenting the credential is the rightful holder of it.
- It needs to be inclusive. Not everyone has a smartphone, so it must be possible for the credential to be presented and checked on paper as well as on a device.
- It needs to be respectful of people’s privacy. If people have to show a photo ID along with a credential, they will be sharing personal data, such as date of birth or address, unnecessarily.”
So as COVID or vaccine passports a good thing? With this question Palmer adds: “The advantage of a digital vaccine certificate is that it can be secured against fraud.”
He goes on to describe how the technology can be used to verify that only the genuine holder can use the certificate.
As an example of how such technology might work, he says: “During your vaccination you complete a brief face scan and then only you can use that certificate for travel or for entry to venues. There are undoubtedly social, legal and political issues with vaccine certificates that need to be addressed. But from a technology point of view, it is possible to make them secure, easy to use and respectful of user privacy.”
