Vaccine passport apps: Can Big Tech do better than contact tracing?

CNN Business — As some US cities start requiring proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, events and workplaces, smartphone makers such as Apple, Samsung and Google are rolling out ways to make it easy for users to show their Covid-19 vaccine status with just a tap. It could be Big Tech’s shot at making a dent with pandemic solution tools following its failed attempt last year at contact tracing apps, which used Bluetooth technology to alert people if they’ve been in close proximity with someone who tested positive for the virus. “It would help to a degree by removing the risk of fraudulent certification from forged documents entering circulation.” Some vaccine verification apps, such as New York City’s NYC Safe app, have faced criticism from some privacy experts for being a “dressed-up camera app,” allowing users to upload photos of their vaccine card – or of anything – and leaving the onus on business owners to determine if it’s real. Amy Loomis, research director at IDC who closely follows future of work trends, said Big Tech’s efforts to support vaccine health pass apps are innately better set up for success. According to Albert Cahn – whose experiment uploading a picture of Mickey Mouse to the NYC Covid Safe app as proof of vaccination went viral earlier this month – vaccine verification apps open up a Pandora’s box of privacy concerns and are susceptible to counterfeit proof, which could provide a false sense of protection when entering a vaccine-required establishment like a restaurant or workplace.