Ping Identity rolls out mobile biometric passports for easier vaccine status verification

Ping Identity has introduced the Project COVID Freedom biometric vaccine status solution to enable healthcare providers, businesses, and individuals to share proof of COVID-19 test results and vaccinations with ease and speed.

The vaccination passport leverages decentralized identity technology Ping gained from its recent takeover of ShoCard, as well as biometric data security. Individuals can receive private end-to-end encrypted messages as digital proof of their vaccination status from concerned health care providers using their ShoCard mobile wallets.

The service is currently available for free to governments, business, healthcare providers and individuals, and access to it will be expanded as soon as early testing is completed, Ping said.

The passport is built on a decentralized identity technology based on the ShoCard platform, and with which a user can share proof of his vaccine test or verification results either via face or fingerprint biometrics. It requires no coding, and individuals can use it by simply downloading an application on their iPhone or Android devices.

The solution is different from other vaccination passports in that it allows secure continuous management of test and vaccination results, and is more trustworthy than paper certifications, according to Ping. Vaccine providers can also use the app to send reminders to customers due to receive a second dose or in the case of a defective batch.

The individual, the Ping announcement adds, can securely share proof of their status with employers, restaurants, entertainment arenas, friends or family using a QR code.

Andre Durand, CEO and founder of Ping Identity, reiterated the ease with which their solution can handle vaccine proof issues: “Achieving normalcy post-pandemic will demand a level of verifiable safety in the places where people come together most. Using secure and private technology that’s easily accessible from a smartphone, Project COVID Freedom helps simplify the vaccination process so individuals, businesses and healthcare providers can increase in-person safety without compromising users’ digital identity,” Durand said.

Gautam M Shah, the vice president of partner institution Change Healthcare agreed that a return to normal will require “…secure and trusted ways to share and verify vaccination status.”

“Supporting Project COVID Freedom is a natural extension of Change Healthcare and Ping Identity’s common goal to use secure, highly accurate identity to enable trusted healthcare interactions for patients, healthcare providers, and payers alike,” he added.

Article Topics

biometric data  |  biometrics  |  credentials  |  data protection  |  decentralized ID  |  digital identity  |  identity verification  |  mobile app  |  Ping Identity