Google will integrate vaccination certificates into Android

Google will soon integrate vaccination certifications into Android through an API update. Thus, the Mountain View firm will offer a “simple and secure” way for users to store their vaccination certificate or negative PCR test on their smartphones, without necessarily going through an application.

While it will be possible from this Thursday, July 1 to transform your French health pass into a European health certificate on TousAntiCovid, Google has just announced the upcoming integration of your health documents related to Covid-19 in Android. Indeed, the American company has updated the integrated password system of its OS to allow users to store a digital vaccination card, known as the Covid card.

This feature, initially available in the United States, will offer medical professionals, government organizations and local authorities the possibility of digitizing vaccination certificates, negative PCR tests or even recovery certifications. Note that France is an exception compared to many countries, since the government has chosen to trust the TousAntiCovid application to store your health documents related to Covid-19, in the health pass section. This is not necessarily the case for all countries.

Google will not store any medical data

Regarding the vaccinated people, this Covid card will indicate the date of the injection and the name of the vaccine, the identity of the structure which administered the precious product to you, and the details of your future appointment if you have one. are for the first injection only. Same principle for the PCR test, with the type of test carried out, the result, the date and the name of the entity which carried out the test.

The Covid card will be able to be registered from your healthcare provider’s app or website, and users can then access it from a shortcut on the home screen of their Android smartphone. The main advantage is that it will be possible to open it even if you are offline or in areas where the Internet connection is poor.

Regarding data security, Google wants to be reassuring: no medical data will be stored in the company’s cloud, and it will not be used for advertising purposes under any circumstances. On the other hand, Google will record the number of times you use it and the date of each use. Once again, France having chosen TousAntiCovid, there is little chance that the government will approve this feature, the goal being to motivate as many people as possible to adopt the application. The future will tell.

Source: The Verge