Canada’s privacy commissioners and ombuds say privacy should be front and centre as COVID-19 vaccine passports are considered.
The federal, provincial and territorial access to information and privacy guardians issued a joint statement earlier this week.
Vaccine passports would require people to possibly disclose vaccine status to attend sporting events or for airline travel, as examples.
“While this may offer substantial public benefit, it is an encroachment on civil liberties that should be taken only after careful consideration,” the privacy commissioners and ombudspersons said in the statement.
Privacy commissioners said there must be clear legal authority for introducing the use of vaccine passports for each intended purpose.
If vaccine passports are deployed, they said steps should be taken to achieve the highest level of privacy protection.
“The necessity, effectiveness and proportionality of vaccine passports must be continually monitored to ensure that they continue to be justified,” said the release.
“Vaccine passports must be decommissioned if, at any time, it is determined that they are not a necessary, effective or proportionate response to address their public health purposes.”
Organizations considering vaccine passports are encouraged to consult with the privacy commissioners in their jurisdiction as part of the development process.
