Privacy experts concerned about Canada's forthcoming vaccine passport
The federal government is working on a national vaccine passport -- what that will look like and how it could be used is not yet known -- but privacy experts are concerned about how the information would be gathered.
“It’s not just going to be used for travel. People are talking about vaccine passports to get into concerts, to get into baseball games, football games, I mean all kinds of activities globally,” said Ann Cavoukian, executive director of the Global Privacy and Security by Design Centre.
The Toronto Maple Leafs playoff game in May is one example of a major sporting event that required proof of vaccination. Only nurses with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine could attend.
“This will create a global, digital infrastructure that will retain our personal information and this will introduce surveillance like we’ve never seen before,” Cavoukian said.
Manitoba is offering immunization cards for people who are fully vaccinated, meanwhile Saskatchewan has said it will not be asking its residents for proof of vaccination.
“Whether you’re vaccinated [or] I’m vaccinated, that is health information and health information is private,” said Kerry Bowman, a professor of bioethics and global health at the University of Toronto.
Bowman said if vaccine passports “can be avoided, they should be avoided.”
However, a May survey by Leger found the majority of Canadians are in favour of tracking proof of vaccination.
More than 35 per cent of Canadians have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Pandemics come and go, but experts worry the tracking of public health information could be here to stay.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Golf season a summer tourism driver in Canada
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.