What Is The AOK Digital Health Pass And How Does It Work?

Digital passports could become a requirement for international travel in a post-COVID-19 pandemic reality. AOK is one of the digital passports backed by the International Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Chester Drum is the medical scientist credited with designing AOK in Singapore.

What Happened: AOK creates a completely decentralized health record designed to protect the individual's privacy, Drum said on CNBC's "The Edge." At the same time, it is part of a common authentication network that protects countries by validating the health data.

Users would download the AOK app on their phone and results from a lab would be uploaded to a profile. Once the data is uploaded, the "only way it ever leaves the phone is completely cryptographically anonymized," he said.

Since there is no centralized database, a user will never share their information, Drum said. Instead, they merely demonstrate the health information to the relevant authorities.

Related Link: Are Americans Ready To Travel? BofA Sees Biggest Airline Bookings Jump Since Pandemic Began

Why It's Important: People need confidence in knowing the plane or ship they are in is "COVID free" and reduce or eliminate quarantine times upon arrival, International Chamber of Commerce Secretary General John Denton told CNBC. The best way to accomplish these objectives is through an app providing the "ultimate level of security" for all.

What's Next: The AOK app is operational across multiple travel routes and is expected to be launched in other regions.

"If we want to talk about how we get lives and livelihoods happening again and ensure we mobilize the world again and allow the world to move again," said Denton, "we have to actually create standards to enable that to happen."

AOK