Almost half in UK would welcome digital health passes for public events

An industry-commissioned survey of United Kingdom adults found that almost half would feel safer at public events if COVID passports were required and verified.

What is more, the same share — 45 percent — say they would put more trust in event organizers if they instituted biometric verification.

The survey was purchased by Ubirch, a German data-security vendor. The UK government has kicked this idea around for some time as well. And New Zealand has published specs for a domestic vaccination verifier.

Two thousand people were questioned on their preferences when it came to adding digital health pass verification to the process of entering a public event.

Checkpoints themselves would not stop 50 percent of respondents from attending an event, but the process would have to be rapid or no deal.

Sixty-nine percent would not wait any longer than 20 additional minutes for health passports to be verified.

A delay would have to be shorter than five minutes would be preferred by 10 percent of the group.

About a third of respondents would abandon a line after 10 minutes.

But fully one in five respondents said they would stay home altogether if COVID checks were made.

The survey comes just as a series of online discussions about cross-border digital health certificates is set to begin on December 2.

In fact, the sponsors of the webinar — the Border Management and Identity Conference — are holding the event via Zoom because travel restrictions and COVID’s staying power made their planned in-person conference impractical.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will be discussing its digital travel pass. The group is working with airlines on travel pass trials. The pass app will offer information consumers can use to get the right vaccine at the correct time in order to travel with fewer headaches.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  consumer adoption  |  digital ID  |  digital travel credentials  |  health passes  |  identity verification  |  mobile app  |  UK