Digital vaccination passport8/5/2023 ![]() ![]() While partisan politics and messaging around individual freedom appear to be the primary reason for these restrictions, privacy concerns are often cited, suggesting that elected leaders recognize that privacy is a significant concern for many users. At least 20 states with Republican governors have chosen to limit or ban vaccine passports through executive order or legislation. Citing concerns about privacy, the Biden administration chose not to develop a national vaccine passport, instead delegating the issue to individual states and localities. User privacy has emerged as a touchstone issue in the debate about digital vaccine verification, cutting across political affiliation. Thus, the question for the public and state governments to resolve is whether the convenience of supplementing the paper CDC system with digital credentials outweighs the costs, particularly when it comes to privacy. Reports of false verifications being stored in New York State’s Excelsior Pass (a vulnerability that has since been patched) and security bugs allowing users to access other people’s QR codes in the Docket app (also fixed) suggest that issues related to forgery remain a problem. The NYC Covid Safe app made headlines when an advocate successfully uploaded a picture of Mickey Mouse instead of his CDC card as proof of his vaccine status. Digital credentials are a convenient, less destructible alternative for those with a smartphone, although they will not necessarily prevent fraud. However, they can be easily damaged, lost, or forged. So far, paper CDC cards are the only standardized, national vaccine credential. Because the term “vaccine passport” has become somewhat contentious, some states are describing their systems as digital vaccine records instead. Others, such as NYC Covid Safe, are simply places where users can store photos of their paper CDC vaccine cards. Some, like New York State’s Excelsior Pass and the Virginia system, also generate a scannable QR code. Several digital credentials, including the Docket app used by New Jersey, Utah, and Minnesota, are designed to verify a user’s identity and health records against a government database. They may also include information documenting whether someone has tested negative or recovered from Covid-19. States that choose to release digital vaccine credentials should proactively address these concerns rather than scrambling to fix them on the back end - an approach that contributed to the failure of exposure notification apps in the United States.īy way of background, digital vaccine credentials are generally app- or web-based certifications of Covid-19 vaccination status. ![]() These credentials make it easier to provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination status, compared to carrying around paper cards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and may play an important role in supporting efforts to return to normalcy.īut we must ensure that privacy and equity concerns are addressed in order to maximize the adoption of digital credentials. Attend the Brennan Legacy Awards DinnerĪs vaccination rates increase and vaccine mandates are implemented to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and save lives, digital vaccine credentials are the latest public health tech innovation to emerge from the pandemic. ![]() Advance Constitutional Change Show / hide.National Task Force on Democracy Reform & the Rule of Law.Government Targeting of Minority Communities Show / hide.Campaign Finance in the Courts Show / hide.Gerrymandering & Fair Representation Show / hide. ![]()
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