You can add your COVID vaccination certificate to the Apple Wallet… but should you?
Spoiler: Yeah, why not?
The digital driver’s license debate
Last year, a similar discussion arose overApple’s announcementto allow users to import their driver’s license to the Wallet app. There was substantial backlash over the move, leading tothe feature being delayed.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)released a reportsaying that digital driver’s licenses would make showing ID more convenient, “and thus easier to ask for.”
On top of this, the ACLU pointed towards digital IDs allowing more “centralized tracking” and, in a worst case scenario, could lead to online activities being tied to “verified, real-world identities.”
In other words, a digital ID sitting in the Apple Wallet could be a privacy nightmare. So, is there a chance similar things could happen with vaccination QR codes?
Looking on the bright side
To answer the question above, yes and no — with the emphasis on the latter.
A vaccination certificate is substantially different to a driver’s license — it needs to be usedalongsideID in order for it to be effective. Alone, it proves little.
In fact, a digital corona vaccination certificate sitting in the Apple Wallet has some potential benefits.
Fokker told me such a move could lead to a “more unified approach to development and security standardization.”
Currently, vaccine apps that generate the QR code are the responsibility of separate governments, each with “their own budget and security requirements.” Moving to a platform like the Apple Wallet app could negate this.
In the long term, Fokker told me, one could argue that moving to a platform like this could be safer and more beneficial for the average user.
COVID vaccine certificates in the Apple Wallet app: not a huge concern
To put it bluntly: there are no obvious dangers of moving your vaccine certificate to the Apple Wallet. This does come with a large caveat though, as this is only true if you tightly control what apps can access your data.
In this way, vaccination certificates differ from digital IDs. The majority of the former are digital by nature, while the most common forms of identification (driver’s licenses and passports) are paper-based. Digitizing them opens a huge and wriggling can of worms — while the vaccine pass system could actually benefit from being incorporated into the Apple Wallet.
So, there you have it! A little bit of respite before the modern world messes with our heads again.
Story byCallum Booth
Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting(show all)Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting was cited widely, including in VICE, the FT, and the BBC.
Callum’s writing has appeared in The Verge, The Daily Telegraph, Time Out, and many more. He covers the full spectrum of technology, with a particular focus on how it shapes our daily lives. And a lot of regulation stuff too.
Outside of work, Callum’s an avid bookworm, a Fisherman’s Friends addict, and resolutely unshaven. Follow him on Twitter @CallumBooth or visit www.callumbooth.net.
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