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Open University tackling COVID-19 immunity certification with a blockchain solution

The Open University in the UK has developed a digital certificate to prove a person"s immunity against COVID-19. The solution is among a growing number of tools being developed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Open University in the UK has developed a digital certificate to prove a person"s immunity against COVID-19. The solution is among a growing number of tools being developed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The digital certificate is part of a prototype mobile app used to verify whether a person has antibodies for COVID-19. Antibodies for the virus are produced when an individual has had the virus and has subsequently recovered.

These antibodies in most instances protect against re-infection. Tracking whether an individual has COVID-19 antibodies may be one of the ways used to identify who can be permitted to travel and work, and who should exercise caution. This is especially important for frontline workers in essential industries who cannot work from home, such as nurses, delivery drivers, and policemen.

The app works by storing a user"s ID and antibody status in an encrypted state on a decentralized ledger. Although user data is encrypted and stored in a decentralized manner, the creation of accounts and assigning of an antibody status will still be managed by a central authority.

In order to create an account, a user will have to provide proof of their identity in the form of a driver’s license or passport. They are then assigned a unique digital “fingerprint,” which is managed through the mobile app.

Once testing for COVID-19 antibodies has been completed, their account is assigned a "true" or "false" status regarding their immunity. This status is displayed through the app and is verifiable by third parties in a way that does not reveal any personal information about the user.

The framework that drives the app is known as Solid Pod, with pod being an acronym for "personal online identity." It was created by Tim Berners-Lee, widely known as the inventor of the World Wide Web. The framework enables a user to store their personal data in a decentralized way separately to the app, so that the app company does not control the user"s data.

Commenting on the prototype, Professor John Domingue, Director of the OU"s Knowledge Media Institute, said, “Our app, building on several years of research into decentralized certification, is readily scalable, applicable generically, and ‘waiting in the wings’ for immunity testing to be in full effect.”

There are several benefits to storing this type of information in a digital, decentralized manner. Firstly, it allows for some level of confidentiality because once the data is included in the decentralized ledger, it is encrypted and only accessible by the user and those that they grant access to.

In a centralized system, there is a risk of this data being viewed, shared, or sold by those in control of the data. There is also an increased security risk of having this information stored on a central server. Medical records have become an increasingly attractive target for hackers over the years as they can be sold for considerable sums of money to criminals.

Another benefit of this method of storage is that it gives users total control over their data while maintaining the integrity of the stored information through blockchain-based verification.

“Like many researchers, the OU"s blockchain team have been highly motivated to contribute to resolving this global pandemic,” said Professor John Domingue. “We"ve been looking at how our existing technology could be repurposed to aid immunity certification.”

Solutions for tracking the spread of COVID-19 in the form of contact tracing has been an area of intense research for many organizations over the past few months.

Evernym, ID2020, Consensys Health, and several other blockchain-focused organizations joined together in launching the COVID Credentials Initiative (CCI), which also aims to develop immunity passports on the blockchain.

At the same time, Apple and Google have released a combined first version of an exposure notification API. This will enable developers on behalf of public health agencies to begin building new contact tracing and notification apps.

Contact tracing apps are expected to rely on Bluetooth technology in order to assess whether a user has come into contact with an infected person within the last 14 days. Local health authorities will also be able to define and calculate exposure risk levels for individuals based on their own criteria.

Open University tackling COVID-19 immunity certification with a blockchain solution (1)

The proposed methods of contact tracing have been met with some resistance, however. In the UK, a joint letter by 170 of the countries top researchers and scientists voices privacy and security concerns over the potential for "mission creep" and eventual mass surveillance that contact tracing apps may lead to.

Other, less evidence focused groups, have claimed that Bill Gates and ID2020 are conspiring to create a global surveillance state through the technology introduced to combat COVID-19.

While these claims are certainly extreme, they do highlight how contact tracing could potentially be misused. Trustless, decentralized systems have unique properties that may enable the happy middle-ground between contact tracing and overt surveillance.


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