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Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

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Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does a short lifetime of the certs help with 3rd parties building these databases you mention?

Once the certificate becomes obsolete, it becomes useless and therefore needs to be reacquired. Same process with American SSNs, if they were depreciated very 6 months getting yours published wouldn’t be an issue.

But one of these passes is nearly worthless (in the sense of impersonation) if you don't also have a valid ID of the person it got issued to and you look the same.

When my vaccination pass would "leak" then my name & birthdate would be leaked and they would know someone of that name and birthdate got vaccinated but other than that, they can't impersonate me as if they presented the pass they would be asked to show the corresponding ID as well.

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Denmark use a similar app called “Coronapas”. Works similar to the Swiss one, displaying latest test results and vaccine status. It’s currently required to enter any restaurants or public spaces and has been very successful in returning some degree of normality to the country. Singapore are trialing a similar solution where the “Trace Together” app displays my vaccine status, possible exposure as well as test results…

"It’s currently required to enter any restaurants or public spaces and has been very successful in returning some degree of normality to the country.", there seems to be a link between the app and the normality in this statement, but there actually is no link between the two: an app like this may have some impact at some longer term, to lighten another wave, but it doesn't have any effect on the current re-openings.

I don’t really follow your logic.

The Danish strategy is to test a lot of people and catch new cases early.

Requiring a green corona passport when entering various establishments where transmission can happen, is both a way to decrease the chance of transmission in these places, and to force more people to get tested, to hopefully catch asymptomatic people before they infect too many other people.

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#103
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd wager that the average American anti Covid fanatic (the sort: Masks are fascism! It's like what the nazis did with the jews!) is not really the kind of person travelling the world. You'd be wrong. I've received more vaccines than 99.99% of the people you meet. I visit the doctor and get every jab that's recommended before every international trip (along with documentation for my prescriptions in case I'm questi…

Not sure why you are downvoted. Health officials in US have done a phenomenal job showing how incompetent they were during this crisis. From initial downplay, then the mask fiasco, then trying to covering up the lab leak hypothesis, and of course politicizing the vaccine release timeline, they have blood on their hands. Then to say we need to blindly trust them on what they are saying on safety profile of the vaccine…

Maybe because saying "Adequate testing takes about a decade" is kinda BS - maybe in poster's opinion that's what "adequate" means. Realistically, the vaccine just has to be safer than getting Covid and it's long-term effects. Because we've seen in most Western nations that not getting Covid doesn't work in general.

> I will never trust US Health Authorities anymore

It's a shame some of their mistakes have eroded trust, and for what it's worth, I think easing masking requirements for vaccinated people was rash. But:

> then trying to covering up the lab leak hypothesis, and of course politicizing the vaccine release timeline, they have blood on their hands.

Come on. With all due respect, the lab leak hypothesis does not change the fact Covid exists now and we all have to deal with it, and I'm not even sure what "politicizing the vaccine release timeline" even means, or how a vaccine rollout better than Europe (so far) means they have blood on their hands. There is for sure some politics involved, which can be seen between the different approaches between the administrations. But that just points to factors outside health officials.

So what about other countries then? Are they equally untrustworthy? And with all the vaccinations given so far, the safety profile of some vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech) seems very good (compared to AZ, which is still not bad). At this point, data exists on the short term effects and blind trust is not necessary. On the long term, who knows? But you'd be in the same boat as millions of other people if there were wide-spread effects. If not, then it'd be like cancer or car accidents. Shit does sometimes happen, and often it's out of our control.

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It‘s basically a PKI and this design was chosen with the explicit goal to participate in the EU Green Pass project with the goal that all EU members can participate in the same system. When the the system stands the only bureaucracy will be for an issuer to get a cert from the authority or for an authority to be included in the root. All the things you describe with the seal and number and system to validate is just…

The difference is there's no hard dependency on centralized authority or any kind of complex web or mobile technologies. IT is complicated. Many orgs are still running ridiculous old systems. A lot of people don't have mobiles phones, or generally don't know how to use them properly, may not have data services or even an email address. The 'COVID tracer' app issued by gov. Canada has barely anyone using it. TN visas…

But your suggestion still involves a hard dependency on a centralised authority. Someone needs to issue the paper form, issue the stamp, make sure every agency knows what is "genuine", issue a "number" to be written on the paper, create a centralised system where that number and your ID is linked and stored so the border people can check the validity of the number, you need to procure all of these physical goods and send them to the locations. AND they have to somehow then make sure that any other country can take that paper and somehow validate that it's actually genuine as well, maybe call a phone number on the paper and ask?

I honestly don't understand how any of this is simpler, less centralised and a benefit to the end user.

If you have a web browser, a printer and know how to copy paste you can issue a pass. The system returns a pdf you can print and hand to the person. No mobile phone, data service or email involved. This can happen at the same place where you get your vaccination.

For the end user and the intermediary at the issuance place it's exactly the same, you get vaccinated, someone enters it into a form, you get a paper to take with you. With the benefit that if I wanted I could get it on my phone and someone in Spain or Sweden or wherever would be able to validate it in a second.

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#105
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't that creep you out at least a little bit?

I think you have to do this basically everywhere? Exception would be within the EU (and possibly within the US, though I thought there were license compatibility problems there).

I'm in the US and don't keep my driver's license up to date.

It's really a minor thing police mention if you get pulled over/into an accident but otherwise doesn't matter.

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We are using IDEMIX to enable the DCC and COVID testing to be used all over the country. This allows us to only disclose a tiny amount of information - in many cases just one of your initials an either your month or day of birth - whilst proving yourself to be low-risk for COVID. The DCC itself contains a lot of information so it shouldn't be directly used outside of border or police checks. I can - technically - be…

While the technology you are developing may allow that proof of COVID status, as the OP mentions, it is questionable if it will actually be used broadly in many countries. When countries have already reopened their hospitality sectors to all regardless of status, then they may be loathe to begin requiring COVID proof. Nor do hospitality staff necessarily want to given the duty of checking statuses. So if COVID status…

It's more about "nudging" people towards getting vaccinated from my stand point. That's how we get through this pandemic.

I do strongly hope that the entire system will no longer be required come the end of 2021, or this time next year at the latest.

For the Exposure Notification apps the same thing applies.

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure why you are downvoted. Health officials in US have done a phenomenal job showing how incompetent they were during this crisis. From initial downplay, then the mask fiasco, then trying to covering up the lab leak hypothesis, and of course politicizing the vaccine release timeline, they have blood on their hands. Then to say we need to blindly trust them on what they are saying on safety profile of the vaccine…

Maybe because saying "Adequate testing takes about a decade" is kinda BS - maybe in poster's opinion that's what "adequate" means. Realistically, the vaccine just has to be safer than getting Covid and it's long-term effects. Because we've seen in most Western nations that not getting Covid doesn't work in general. > I will never trust US Health Authorities anymore It's a shame some of their mistakes have eroded trus…

If we don't know the long-term effects of the vaccines, we don't know if they are actually better than COVID and its long-term effects.

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#108
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's certainly a possibility if safety really is a concern. But I'd wager that the average American anti Covid fanatic (the sort: Masks are fascism! It's like what the nazis did with the jews!) is not really the kind of person travelling the world. That is incredibly mean-spirited. And exactly what I have come to expect. I am fully vaccinated: measles, rubella, all the rest. I will not get the COVID shot. I never…

> If you "trust the science", it'll give you immunity, and you don't need to worry about me at all. Me getting vaccinated protects more than just me. It protects, for example, those who cannot get vaccinated by limiting the spread of a disease. Your perspective could be (perhaps slightly unfairly) summarized as 'your child has leukemia and caught a cold from me, well that's THEIR problem not mine' I do not understand…

> Watching the anti-COVID vaccine folks has helped me realize this isn't about medicine or science or understanding...its about selfishness.

It really is about science because the vaccines have not been approved for general use yet. All they have is an Emergency Use Authorization.

Edit: Also, we don't know the long-term effects of these vaccines. Those could be far worse than the virus.

For people who are not vulnerable, they shouldn't have to get a vaccine. For people who are, well, we have grocery delivery services. And masks (if they work). And vaccines (if they can get them).

If we lose liberty, then you can bet that we will lose our ability to choose whether to get experimental medical treatments or not. Trust me, you don't want to go down that road.

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#109

From the G7 agenda reporting: “ Last Friday morning, during an interview on Good Morning America, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the Biden administration was taking “a very close look” at the possibility of vaccine passports for travel into and out of the United States. However by Friday afternoon the Department of Homeland Security was clarifying Mayorkas’ statement. The DHS says there won’…

> If more states ban covid-passports, I wonder if the EU would rather not have tourists than allow visitations. That's certainly a possibility if safety really is a concern. But I'd wager that the average American anti Covid fanatic (the sort: Masks are fascism! It's like what the nazis did with the jews!) is not really the kind of person travelling the world. I don't think that others, who want to travel the world r…

> The whole principle that you need to prove vaccination to be let into a country is not really new.

Requiring this for experimental and not-yet-approved vaccines is new. (The COVID vaccines only have Emergency Use Authorizations.)

Re: Swiss Covid Certificate – Technical documentation of the swiss Covid certificate

#110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once the certificate becomes obsolete, it becomes useless and therefore needs to be reacquired. Same process with American SSNs, if they were depreciated very 6 months getting yours published wouldn’t be an issue.

But one of these passes is nearly worthless (in the sense of impersonation) if you don't also have a valid ID of the person it got issued to and you look the same. When my vaccination pass would "leak" then my name & birthdate would be leaked and they would know someone of that name and birthdate got vaccinated but other than that, they can't impersonate me as if they presented the pass they would be asked to show th…

The danger is not the pass itself. It's that you'd be prompted to display it systematically for any and all activities.
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