When asked about the concerns with Google storing vaccination information potentially overseas, Services Australia said use of the COVID Card was optional.
Google last week announced extending its COVID Card feature to Australia, allowing Android users to access vaccination information on their device. Google said it worked with Services Australia to give “a convenient and secure way to view, save, and show your vaccination status and information, straight from your smartphone”. The information will show in the vaccination passport once a second dose has been administered. According to Google, vaccine information is only stored on the user’s device and not stored by Google. However, when adding the certificate to Google Pay, users are prompted to confirm they agree to their data being stored offshore. “If you add your COVID-19 digital certificate to Google Pay, others with access to this device will be able to view the certificate. It’s your responsibility to keep your certificate secure,” the prompt says. “By selecting ‘Accept’, you provide consent for the Australian government to share the information contained in your COVID-19 digital certificate with Google for Google Pay who will store it on servers outside of Australia. “A copy of your certificate may also be stored on servers outside of Australia if you have other cloud applications stored on your device to backup your data.” When asked about the storing of data offshore, Services Australia said the COVID-19 digital certificate would be entirely optional for Australians. “Once provided to the individual, it is their choice as to how they use and store it,” a spokesperson for Minister Linda Reynolds told ZDNet. “This includes accessing the certificate via government apps, or downloading it to their phone, or storing it in their digital wallet.” The spokesperson confirmed the certificate was accessible without using the digital wallet storage option.
