Boom Bust digs into privacy issues of blockchain-protected digital ‘vaccine passports’

South Korea announced it will roll out blockchain-protected digital ‘vaccine passports’ to immunized citizens, joining other nations introducing such certificates. This could allow travelers to show digital proof of vaccination.

Boom Bust co-host and blockchain expert Ben Swann explains that South Korea wants “to make sure that whenever someone is vaccinated their information is entered into a blockchain.” The information then lives in the blockchain, not a particular site or server, and therefore it can’t be altered or changed. 

“The question is that some human has to enter that information” and could just enter names of people who were not actually vaccinated, Ben points out. “Aside of that happening, someone can’t just simply hack in and be able to alter blockchain, it can’t happen,” he says.

Ben also says there could be robust debates in some countries, including the United States, over whether or not vaccine passports are lawful.

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