Convinced of the importance of complying with the regulations and using the appropriate tools, we downloaded the app for verifying green certificates (Green Pass) and noted its critical aspects, and not because of any resistance to undergoing the Covid-19 vaccination, which is a fundamental tool in the fight against the pandemic.
However, some aspects regarding identification and privacy are critical.
The certificate validity verification app (Verifica 19) makes the person's first and last name visible to anyone who scans their code. This will force trans people who haven't had access to correct their personal data to constantly request identification, which will display their birth name, revealing their status to anyone they see.
Data inconsistent with their physical appearance and identity could expose them to discrimination and bullying, as well as the suffering of forced and privacy-disrespectful coming out. This will increase the isolation and exclusion of trans and gender-variant people, who will have to choose between depriving themselves of their privacy and the security that comes with it, or essential health and social services.
Let's also consider the services provided to people who have the right to privacy regarding their health status, such as HIV-positive individuals: many will forgo sexually transmitted infection testing services because it won't be possible to do so anonymously. This violates Law 135 of 1990, which establishes the obligation to consent to data processing and guarantees confidentiality.
Another critical aspect will be maintaining the right to access important services for those who face greater difficulties accessing vaccines and Green Passes, such as migrants. Physical access to administrative services, social facilities, community centers, or psychological and legal support centers is essential for those who must complete the process of obtaining documentation and receive information in a country and language other than their own.
For this reason, we ask that everyone be given the same opportunities and that first and last names, or at least first names, be omitted from the identification system. This way, no one is left behind, both in participating in the vaccination campaign and in safely exercising their citizenship rights.