3D/ Bringing Emerging Privacy-Preserving Technology to a Public Health Crisis - A Case Study of the COVID-19 Credentials Initiative
Bringing Emerging Privacy-Preserving Technology to a Public Health Crisis - A Case Study of the COVID-19 Credentials Initiative
Tuesday 3D
Convener: Lucy Yang (lucy.yang1030@outlook.com), Kaliya Young, John Walker (jwalker@semanticclarity.com)
Notes-taker(s):
Tags for the session - technology discussed/ideas considered:
Verifiable credentials, COVID-19, public health crisis
Article by Kaliya Young and Lucy Yang on the challenges CCI has encountered as a grass-root community: https://medium.com/@cci.2020/the-covid-19-credentials-initiative-cci-b00c1d858ccb
Discussion notes, key understandings, outstanding questions, observations, and, if appropriate to this discussion: action items, next steps:
General - this session is being recorded.
Link to the deck of the session: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Nr6ECAiwD-aBwND8dYNHwM0PWElje2E7zgAIdHOVMuE/edit?usp=sharing
Articles referenced:
CLEAR article: https://link.medium.com/hhj3wLkxDab
DHS articles: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/08/26/weekly-update-dhs-response-covid-19
MS article: https://didproject.azurewebsites.net/docs/verifiable-credentials.html
Links:
The COVID-19 Credentials Initiative (CCI) Website: https://www.covidcreds.com/
CCI Newsletter Archive: https://us10.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=1e21ad08ed0422a5dac0b8eed&id=ebe791efe9
CCI Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCI_CovidCreds
CCI Use Case Implementation Group Page: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dbWvs1m8uziTsbhUQv_nPofTXAyDSkxI5CZtoo1SlRY/edit?ts=5e85430a#heading=h.8oej31ec0two
CCI Governance Group Page: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18ImvPqTxKsqaqhX8_pIXxCq1p1xmHqfO0vo-OzSbBl8/edit
Article about CLEAR’s solution
https://link.medium.com/hhj3wLkxDab
OP-Ed Published by Alexandra: https://calmatters.org/commentary/my-turn/2020/09/legislation-offers-solution-to-safely-store-covid-19-testing-data-critical-information/
Session feedback to the challenges that CCI has faced: (see slides)
How can we remedy these challenges ?
Todd from ID2020 - Chief Architect
The editorial content and voice from the community should be provided to strengthen CCI’s message. Create positive, “carrot” approaches.
Solution around Travel getting press in the NYTimes - its a big part of the use-case.
Todd could support developing an editorial rebuttal to the NY Times article.
Phil Wolff - CCI should / could reach out to professionals who advocate to the Government and Health IT vendor community.
ACTION ITEM coming off this call - one or more groups to write open editorials and seek to get them published?
Most of CCI is startups in small organizations, how do we gain visibility?
Phil Wolff - CCI should / could reach out to professionals who advocate to the Government and Health IT vendor community.
End of the day CCI has to represent open standards
NOT credentials from any one solution - solutions CCI supports needs to be usable cross venue.
Work with interoperability groups - “who’s wallets can you read, from who’s solutions?”
If they have the connections they don’t need VCs or privacy preserving. In the context they have the contacts.
Q: How to package something ready to go?
Q: Has the committee’s results been proven?
Q: Could we develop: (from Kaliya)
Model policy for governments?
Model RFP language for governments?
Responding to the model policy creation question : Alexandra Medina
Principles named in the AB 2004 Bill that needed to be flushed out.
Security
Privacy
Portability
Interoperability
Represented the Blockchain Advocacy Group
Worked with ID2020 folks on language, got Verifiable Credentials Bill passed in California. Excited about the applicability for other things besides COVID.
Unique opportunity to get the state to start thinking about it.
Has gotten op-ed published.
CCI could pattern it’s work based on Uniform Law Commission
Which works for state governments.
AB 1489 - 80 page policy on Crypto. Written by lawyers
ALEC - gets language in.
Jurisdictions States like to have standard language
Reciprocal model - for states to recognize
Vishal Gupta: Indian government is going forward with a centralized model for COVID tracking.
We need to get privacy concerns heard right now. COVID problem is giving an unforeseen power to governments. They are grabbing it and side stepping privacy regulations.
DEVELOP PRINCIPLES….then model language…
Kaliya: The JSON-LD ZKP BBS+ provides a lot of hope to address the issues you are naming most of the community is excited about it as a new baseline that meets everyone’s needs.
Created an initial draft
Larger business, smaller business - another organization.
Q. Can we build our own competency for advocacy?
Q. is the community committed to sticking with this project even if we miss this pandemic? to be ready for the next one?
Public health is the ongoing framework for CCI to work ‘within’
There was a DHS request for proposals RFP - Tom Jones reference
Tom Jones - Kantara reference
There are two kinds of lists:
Aspirational manifestos. We want privacy.
Thou shalt…
Acceptance tests. You know it's minimally acceptable when…
Thou shalt not… Thou must…
DHS SVIP has asked for information re: COVID
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/08/26/weekly-update-dhs-response-covid-19
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to work with partners across both public and private sectors to execute the Whole of America response to COVID-19 and ensure the challenges we face during these unprecedented times are met. Our partners at the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) have worked diligently with our private sector partners to find creative solutions to those challenges, while carrying out the mission of DHS to secure our homeland.
“When it comes to security and safety issues, the government doesn’t always have all the answers, which is why S&T works with the private sector to find technology solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges,” said William N. Bryan, DHS Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Science & Technology. “S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program has reached out to the innovation community seeking technologies that can help DHS and the nation in this battle against COVID-19. We are seeking solutions to ensure the security of data in contact-tracing apps, automatic disinfection of surfaces, and tools to deconflict available information about the virus. Our National Urban Security Technology Laboratory in New York is conducting a market study on non-invasive febrile temperature screening technologies for the responder communities. Meanwhile, our studies are continuing at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center to characterize and learn as much about the deadly virus as possible, so that efforts to combat this disease are effective in protecting people, not only across the nation, but around the world.”
Q. Who isn't in the room that should be?
Phil Wolff - regarding CCI gaining the interest and interaction with larger Government, Public Health, and Health IT organizations with potential interest in CCI.
Their solution buying and evaluation criteria are:
“What do you buy off the shelf?”
“Where is the kit to do your pilot?”
“Test your assumptions to widely deploy with low risk.”
(Is the vendor or solution) “We aren’t prepared to help people manage those risks.”
“Buying from the “crisis bucket”
OR
Buying from the sweeping technology - choice affecting everything.
“Yes” decision dependent on doing everything well.
CCI - Don’t know if we can make claims that these third party vendors are ready as business let alone buying
