The Polarization of Vaccine Passports

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Friend,   Partisanship can bring out the worst in our society, and that’s never been clearer than with vaccine passports. Sadly, as we try to get Americans access to lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines, Silicon Valley’s tracking tools have become a divisive distraction, fueling polarization, undermining public trust, and drawing attention away from public health guidance.   Last year, Democratic lawmakers raised the alarm about how the Trump Administration might roll-out a vaccine passport system. Now, the political tides have turned, and many Democratic leaders are embracing this misguided effort, while GOP officials are taking the preposterous step of outlawing paper vaccine records.   Both of these extremes are a setback for the American people and the crucial work of building trust in vaccines. Throughout, S.T.O.P.’s position has been consistent: vaccine passport apps make sense for international travel, but they shouldn’t become an everyday tracking tool.   Sadly, we see public pressure for these apps continue to grow, accelerated by the deep desire to do something, anything, to bring this nightmare of a pandemic to an end. We share that longing, and even as privacy advocates, we’d be willing to support this system if it truly worked. But this software is a sales pitch, not science, and we fear just how much damage it will do before the American people realize that fact.   With thanks, Albert Fox Cahn, Esq. Executive Director Listen To Our Podcast! Our Team Share Tweet Forward