Editing Green passport: follow-up of Italian Guarantor Privacy to the Government about some critical issues related to it

In today’s world dominated by the pandemic, vaccination is considered intrinsic for protection, but not everyone is willing to follow the rules set by governments of various countries. One of the reasons why people may prefer to circumvent such rules is the possibility of adverse effects, and some individuals may have reasonable grounds for this stance.

Every country around the globe is engaged in the fight against Covid-19. At the moment, it is difficult to predict the winner, but governments have been gradually introducing new rules and regulations in order to avoid further spread of the disease. However, do these restrictions work? Are they as effective as they were hoped to be?

One such new rule includes the issuance of a green pass, a type of document that can be issued in paper or digital form certifying that the holder has either received the Covid-19 vaccination, recovered from Covid-19 disease, or taken a swab test (PCR or Rapid Antigen test) with a negative result, conducted no more than 72 or 48 hours earlier, depending on the case.

The green pass is taken very seriously everywhere, especially in Italy. If we take into consideration the letter of the Italian Privacy Guarantor addressed to the Parliament, he questions whether the green pass could be used to avoid periodic covid testing, which could result in the circumvention of general public health measures.<br> Since there is no verification that the information contained in the certificate is current, if the health status of the holder changes, it will not be reflected in the document. Therefore, as maintained by the Italian Guarantor, the data included in the pass cannot be fully trusted, and because holding a green pass should not be a safe haven for its holders, it appears unfair that individual holding a green pass with extended expiration date following vaccination, are exempted from periodic medical checks.

The Italian Guarantor is also concerned about issues pertaining to data protection in relation to the green pass holder’s clinical condition or personal choices regarding vaccination. Considering the fact that the green pass contains information regarding the basis upon which the holder received it (either by receiving a swab test, recovering from Covid-19, or vaccination) and an expiration date, information concerning the holder's health status can easily be deduced, however much one tries to conceal this information.

Given that every employee is legally required to have a green pass, this certificate will need to shown at the workplace, and thus an employer will have access to it. As mentioned above, the green pass contains a great deal of personal data, and because of the subordinate nature of the relationship of an employee to their employer, the latter would thus be able to obtain previously confidential information about the health of their employees.

From the government’s point of view, it is understandable why the green pass can been seen as a sanctuary for a better future. However, it also can be and is used as mechanism to control people, and the data the government gathers from this document may be used against its citizens. Thus, each individual should consider whether they wish to become involved in such a scheme, or whether they would prefer to resist.

Nevertheless, the issue should be considered even more profoundly. Whether we prefer to stay home for the foreseeable future or would rather proceed with life as it was before. This is the issue that should be addressed by each individual, given that the government does not have the right to dictate mandatory use of the vaccine.

Nonetheless, what if there is no other choice? What if the spread of Covid-19 becomes uncontrollable? Will people still gather to protest compulsory use of the vaccine or will they bend to the will of the government? Only time will tell…