Posted on Tuesday, 24 November 2020

Today, the notion of being able to simply book a ticket somewhere sunny and hop on a plane is “very 2019”. But there are hopes that technology will eventually provide a safe way for this to happen.

Indeed, within China, travel has largely opened up to pre-crisis levels. Considering the virus started in China, many are impressed by the quick recovery.

And QR codes are at the heart of that success.

Perhaps the biggest proponent of the QR code solution is China's President Xi Jinping, who in the G20 summit in Saudi Arabia called for a global mechanism that utilises QR codes to open up international travel.

"We need to further harmonise policies and standards and establish 'fast tracks' to facilitate the orderly flow of people," he said.

QR code tech would be harnessed to establish the health status of travellers quickly and easily.

According to a transcript published by Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Mr Xi said the codes could be used to recognise "health certificates based on nucleic acid test results".

But Mr Xi's proposal was brief and didn't explain exactly how the system might work, or how closely it would resemble the systems used by China's existing QR code apps, which have been used to great effect in keeping Covid-19 under control.

In the Chinese system, QR codes are read by mobile phones. A person's health status is then revealed by a traffic light system: Green means the person can travel freely, while orange and red mean they must isolate for up to two weeks.

The system is available on Alipay and WeChat.

As countries struggle to open up travel routes, the QR code approach might be useful.

"Trojan horse"?

However, while the QR code system may have merit, human rights groups have expressed concern.

After Mr Xi's comments, executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, tweeted: "An initial focus on health could easily become a Trojan Horse for broader political monitoring and exclusion."

The city of Hangzhou has given a glimpse of how such a 'Trojan horse' might develop. The metropolis is planning to implement a permanent QR code system that monitors each citizen's health, including health checks ups, medical history and lifestyle.

Would it be a Black Mirror-like nightmare?

The proposed Hangzhou system is reminiscent of the Black Mirror episode "Nosedive", in which people rate each other on their interactions and even appearance. A poor overall rating limits access to things like quality housing.

Would the West accept such a system?

Civil liberties are critical for Western democracies, so any QR code travel system would need to have safeguards that allay any 'Trojan horse' fears.

If such a system can be developed, the humble QR code may well prove central to opening up international travel - and that beach holiday you've been dreaming of.

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