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Something to declare? Surfacing issues with immunity certificates

Topic
Civil liberties COVID-19
Country/Region
UK

08 June 2020

The Ada Lovelace Institute highlights six key issues with proposed "immunity certificates" or "immunity passports" that must be taken into consideration by policy-makers.

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"As antibody tests are rolled out, governments around the world are considering how a presumption of ‘immunity’ might enable a more selective approach to managing risk in society. Some form of digital immunity certification or health status app could formally or informally shape how citizens access parts of society, interact with the economy and exercise their rights. As the building of technical capacity for immunity apps, and deliberation about how they might be deployed progresses, this long read surfaces six key issues policymakers must consider up front.

(...)

In this piece we raise six issues any government should be considering in the use or permission of these technologies. 

  1. We can test for antibodies but we cannot yet test for immunity
  2. Communicating uncertainty and risk is challenging; the policy framing of immunity is misleading and could be harmful
  3. Any kind of health status streaming is discriminatory – and history warns of stigma
  4. Inequalities could trigger or deepen perverse incentives, including undermining solidarity and support for other public health policies
  5. ‘Immuno-privilege’ crosses borders
  6. These issues must be weighed transparently against the cost of not streaming society by health risk"

Something to declare? Surfacing issues with immunity certificates (Ada Lovelace Institute, link)

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