You could be forced to show NHS app Covid passport for MUCH more than flights, says expert

This week saw the release of the highly anticipated Covid vaccine passport in the NHS app for iOS and Android devices. The feature debuted in the smartphone app on the same day that England moved onto its next step of the Government’s lockdown roadmap. The feature arrived in the NHS app on Monday May 17, which is the same day that international travel to certain countries resumed.

Depending on which country you’re hoping to jet off to, there are different entry requirements you’ll have to fulfil.

For some countries, being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus is a prerequisite for entry, and that’s where the NHS app comes in handy.

The update to the app on Monday added in two new features – ‘Share your COVID-19 status’ and ‘Check your COVID-19 vaccine record’.

The former is the one you need to show that you’ve been vaccinated fully against the coronavirus, however when the feature launched question marks were raised as to whether border agencies would even accept this as proof of vaccination.

An alternative to this is calling 119 to apply for a letter saying you’ve been given both jabs.

But besides acting as a Covid vaccine passport for flights, questions have been raised as to whether the NHS app could end up being used for other purposes.

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In a post on The Conversation Eerke Boiten, Professor of Cybersecurity for the School of Computer Science and Informatics at De Montfort University, has taken a deep dive into the NHS app’s privacy policy. And Professor Boiten highlighted some eye-catching lines in the privacy policy for the ‘Covid Status Certificate’, which can be read in full here. Specifically, one section in the document says the personal data that is processed could be used for “further aspects of unlocking”, not just international travel.

The document says: “The principle of the Covid Status Certificate programme is to ensure that illness and death from Covid-19 can be minimised as the UK’s social and economic life is re-established. This will apply both during and after the Government ‘roadmap’ allows citizens to emerge from the restrictions placed on the country during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

“The Covid Status Certificate provides citizens with evidence of their vaccination history. As the country resumes normal functions, this data will be useful for further aspects of unlocking as they arise, e.g for International travel or attendance at domestic events once these have been permitted by government policy and guidance.”

Professor Boiten says this raises a number of issues, including whether NHS vaccine passports will be used beyond international travel.

The cybersecurity expert wrote: “International travel was merely an example of how the data would be used. Here lie significant problems that critics have been concerned about for some time. For one, the broader use of vaccine passports raises issues of discrimination between those who have and have not been offered vaccinations.

“But using vaccine passports in scenarios other than international travel also necessarily increases surveillance, seeing as you’ll need to prove that the vaccine certificate on your phone truly belongs to you. When we travel internationally, we’re used to carrying a passport along with flight tickets and required vaccination certificates – but for events and social gatherings, we don’t expect to have to identify ourselves.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously suggested that those heading to the pub may be asked to provide proof of vaccination after all adults have been offered their first jab, with the target for that being the end of July.

Currently there is no legal requirement for this, but businesses can ask for proof of Covid status – as long as equality laws aren’t broken.

While the Government has also been piloting ways to run large scale events, with the FA Cup semis and final involved in the trials.

These trials saw a range of measures, including Covid vaccine passports used.

Express.co.uk asked the Department of Health & Social Care earlier this week whether the NHS app will be used for any future unlocking.

We also asked the DSHC about what data the NHS app collects, after questions had been raised that it may collect data on National Insurance numbers, car registrations details and more.

Responding, a Government spokesperson said: “The COVID-19 vaccine status service in the NHS App and NHS website has been built with user privacy and security at its heart, to ensure personal information is safe and secure at all times.

“The service is designed as a simple and easy way for users to show their Covid vaccine status for international travel. It does not collect data on national insurance numbers, car registrations, employer or occupation details or any such equivalent data.”

source: express.co.uk