Taiwan combines vaccine passport with digital ID number

(by Ken Macon | Reclaim The Net) – Taiwan’s digital COVID-19 certificate, used to verify testing and vaccination status, will now include the individual’s national ID number, reported the Taipei Times.

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said that the digital vaccine certificates, rolled out on January 1 this year, will now include the national ID number, and it will require insurance companies to allow residents to use Covid certificates to make claims.

Insurance companies criticized the move, noting it will be difficult to verify claims because Covide certificates do not include the doctor’s information, which is required in case of disputes.

The Covid certificates only show the agency that provided the tests. But policy requires the name of the doctor who made the diagnosis.

To address their concerns, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), the agency that regulates insurers, met with insurance companies.

The country’s digital health pass system was already facing criticism over data privacy, with experts warning about fraud even before it was announced that the health pass will now include the bearer’s national ID number.