Are you a New Yorker who wants to live a normal life? Move to Florida.
And if you can’t do that, get an Excelsior Pass. ‘Excelsior’ means ‘higher’ in Latin and is New York’s motto. It’s probably not the best motto for a broken state tiptoeing toward bankruptcy. And it’s an even worse name for a vaccine passport that allows businesses to discriminate.
A day after April Fools’ Day, the Excelsior Pass launched in New York to enable businesses to determine whom they can refuse service to by employing IBM’s Digital Health Pass.
IBM describes its vaccine passport as “voluntary” and will allow New Yorkers “the ability to voluntarily share their health status on their own terms”, but there’s nothing voluntary about forcing people to use a passport carrying private health information in order to live their lives.
There’s nothing less voluntary than that.
Editor’s note: Let’s not forget IBM’s role in the Nazi era…
Hellbound and Down 