Seven EU countries just got a digital vaccine passport

How facial recognition became ubiquitous  

Sponsored by KPMG The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Proof of virus-free status 06.02.21 Good morning! Today: the EU's digital vaccine passport scheme has launched in seven countries, and an interview with the CEO of Clearview AI on how facial recognition became ubiquitous. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. The EU's covid certificate program has gone live   The news: The European Union's digital vaccine passport system went live in seven countries yesterday, ahead of a full launch for all 27 member states on July 1. The document, called a digital green certificate, shows whether someone has been fully vaccinated against covid-19, recovered from the virus, or tested negative within the last 72 hours. Travelers who can prove they fit one of these three criteria are not required to be tested or go into quarantine. The certificate is now being accepted in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Poland.    How it works: The certificate comes in the form of a QR code which can either be stored on a cellphone or printed out on paper. The data is not retained anywhere afterwards, the commission said, for security and privacy reasons. Why it matters: As an early mover, the EU could help to lead the way for post-pandemic global travel. The bloc is in talks with the US about how to check the vaccination status of American visitors this summer. That is likely to concern ethicists and data privacy experts who worry vaccine passports can be used to further entrench inequity. To read more about why, check out the full coverage of the issues from our Pandemic Technology Project team. Dead end?: In any case, it currently seems unlikely that vaccine passports will become common for travel inside the US. Several states, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, and Georgia, have banned them. New York's Excelsior Pass, America's first government-issued vaccine passport, has been downloaded more than one million times, but that's just a small proportion of the 9 million who've been vaccinated, and the vast majority of businesses aren't using it yet. Even early movers are ditching them. Israel was one of the first countries to roll out a vaccine passport. Its “Green Pass” was designed to allow access to restaurants and sporting events for those who could prove they were vaccinated. But, as the country’s successful  vaccination rollout has driven coronavirus numbers down into double figures, Israel this week scrapped the pass as it moves to open up fully for everyone. Podcast: How facial recognition became ubiquitous  Facial recognition regulations are coming. Just yesterday, Seattle's King County became the first US county to ban government use of facial recognition software. Federal reforms are imminently on their way too. In light of that, we’re bringing back an old episode of our podcast, In Machines We Trust, that you may have missed. It’s an interview with the CEO of Clearview AI, which has become one of the most controversial companies in the world. It built a search engine for faces by compiling one of the most comprehensive databases of private individual’s faces, and has sold it all over the country to law enforcement and the police. Your picture is probably in there. Our host Jennifer Strong’s was. Listen to the episode on Apple podcasts or your preferred platform. We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + A chocolate frog! But you might not want to eat this sort.    + This lemony, herbal chicken soup might just be light enough for summer. (NYT $)   + There's a pool in the sky in London. Is it nice? Not entirely. But judging by the Twitter reaction, it's definitely a thing…     + Very late to this Eurovision explainer, but it's so good I'm still sharing it.     + A real-life Schitt's Creek! A desert town in California is up for sale. Residents: 25. Price tag: $2.75 million. (WSJ $) Sponsor Message 5 steps to achieve the most value from AI New KPMG research reveals that business leaders are using artificial intelligence to solve major industry problems—including addressing challenges brought on by COVID-19, detecting fraud, and improving bureaucratic efficiency—but a comprehensive plan is needed. Discover five steps to achieve the most value from your AI investment. Read Thriving in an AI World. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Ransomware hackers attacked the world's largest meat supplier  Let's hope JBS can recover better than Colonial Pipeline. (NBC)   + Ransomware is a genuine threat to national and international security. (Wired $)   + The White House says the attack originated in Russia. (BBC)   + Could the ransomware crisis force action against Russia? (TR)   + Hackers have new targets: people returning to the office. (TechCrunch)  2 The first human has caught a rare form of bird flu This sounds scary, but the risk of further transmission seems low. (Reuters)   + The WHO has approved China's Sinovac vaccine for emergency use. (BBC)   + The UK didn't announce a single covid death yesterday. (The Guardian)  3 The future of food delivery 🥡 The pandemic has pushed "ghost kitchens" into the mainstream. (The Verge)   + The next big thing? Everything in under an hour. (WSJ $)  4 Amazon's serious injury rates are nearly double those in other warehouses This looks like the outcome of a company culture that treats people like robots, and obsesses over productivity. (WP $)   + Amazon will no longer screen employees for marijuana use. (Reuters $)   + Amazon has just changed its terms of service to make it easier for customers to file lawsuits. (WSJ $)   + You have one week to opt out of Amazon Sidewalk. (The Verge)  5 We need to talk about screenshots They have, quite simply, become the chaos agents of the internet. (The Atlantic $)   6 Would you let a robot paint your nails? 🤖💅 A bunch of new startups are betting on it. (NYT $)    + But Peanut the waiter robot is proof that your job is safe. (Wired $)  7 Why Africa’s tech cities have failed to live up to their promises Management consultants have a lot to answer for. (Rest of World)   8 Twitter is launching… a local weather service? ⛅ For $10 a month. (Axios)   + It might also start labeling your tweets based on how wrong you are. (Gizmodo)  9 Inside the biggest video game cheating empire on the planet This group made about $77 million selling cheats for PUBG Mobile. (Vice)   10 Lots of workers would rather quit than go back to the office 👋 Bosses beware. (Bloomberg $) Next week, join MIT Technology Review and Harvard Business Review virtually at EmTech Next.  Discover the technologies propelling organizational growth, the impact of AI and automation, the urgency to upskill the workforce, and more. Register today.   EmTech Next is happening soon! Register today. Quote of the Day “The reason he was there is because he was a dumbass and believed what he heard on Fox News.” —Joseph Hurley, a lawyer representing an alleged Capitol rioter, Anthony Antonio, tells Associated Press he is one of many attorneys using misinformation as a defense. Top image credit: Pexels | Pixabay Please send edible chocolate frogs to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @charlottejee. Thanks for reading! —Charlotte Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up today Re-envision the future of work Join us virtually | June 8-10, 2021 Register now Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142

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