Privacy concerns have been raised over the Scottish Government’s coronavirus vaccine passport app amid claims the software shares user data with a host of online businesses.
Holyrood rolled out plans to demand Scots show proof of inoculation to access nightclubs, football grounds and concerts earlier this month following a ‘grace period’ for users.
The app allows vaccinated people to download a QR code containing a link to an online record of their jag.
However, the Sunday Mail claims privacy information reveals the personal data can be shared with the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, ServiceNow, Royal Mail and an AI facial recognition firm.
Civil liberties campaigners have blasted the revelation as “extremely concerning”.
Sam Grant, head of policy and campaigns at Liberty, said: “Vaccine passports create a two-tier society and already many people in Scotland have been coerced into getting a vaccine passport in order to attend events and access certain parts of society.
“It’s extremely concerning that, in doing so, data has been shared with third parties without people having the option to opt out or without even being made aware that this is happening.
“This only furthers the wide concerns people already have around vaccine passports.
“We all want to keep each other safe and Liberty has always supported reasonable and proportionate measures to combat Covid but vaccine passports are not a solution.”
Privacy information on the vaccination passport app reveals personal data of users will be shared with NetCompany, Service Now, Jumio, iProov, Albasoft, Amazon Web Services, CFH Docmail, Microsoft Azure, Gov.uk Notify Service and Royal Mail.
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It is claimed that not all of the firms can “access” the data, even though it is “shared”.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Scottish Liberal Democrats have repeatedly warned the Government that data protection is virtually non-existent – a simple screenshot was enough to bypass whatever ‘security measures’ the system had in place.
“The launch was a shambles and the IT system struggled to cope.
“Everyone has the right to medical privacy, nobody should ever have to provide part of their medical history to a bouncer or a series of private companies. That is just simply absurd.”