Collection of personal data due to Covid-19: Bernese IT companies present solution for event organizers

In the fight against the corona virus, the three Bernese ICT companies baeriswyl tschanz & partner ag, it-processing AG and PageUp AG are teaming up: They have jointly developed the web application get-entry.ch. This is now available to restaurants, bars, clubs, sports and trade fair organizers, as well as other potential event organizers in Switzerland, to ensure that the collection of personal data, which has become necessary in the course of tracing Covid 19 infections, is carried out in compliance with data protection. Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara, Kongress + Kursaal Bern AG and the Kunsthaus Interlaken have been recruited as supporting partners. "We would like to offer our support to the event organizers during this difficult time," said Remo Tschanz of baeriswyl tschanz & partner ag. "get-entry.ch is a straightforward web-based solution that guarantees unique verification without the need to physically install an app on the smartphone. Both the guests and the hosts of a venue or event benefit equally from a fast and secure process. "

Collection of personal data: Focus on data protection

At the heart of the application is the generation of a QR code - the so-called personal entry ID - which users must present on their cell phone or printed out together with an official ID when visiting an event. The personal entry ID can then be used several times and throughout Switzerland. Registration on get-entry.ch is a one-time process and the data is irrevocably deleted immediately after the registration process. Only when actually visiting a location or an event and showing the QR code, the data will be stored for 14 days. Only the first name, last name and date of birth are displayed to the operator on site so that they can be verified with the official ID. The operator does not see the other data - zip code, city, e-mail address and cell phone number. The date of birth, which is particularly sensitive, is only displayed for checking with the official ID, but is not stored afterwards.

No abuse with false information and Swisscom as a partner

In recent weeks, several incidents in connection with manual lists have shown how important it is to provide correct personal data. If the accuracy of the data is not guaranteed, contact tracing does not work properly; people cannot be contacted and protective measures such as quarantine cannot be implemented successfully. With get-entry.ch, misuse is prevented by means of 2-factor authentication: "A verified cell phone number acts as the first key via SMS, while checking the first and last name as well as the date of birth by means of an official ID upon actual entry acts as the second key," says Remo Tschanz. Swisscom is a strong and reliable partner for SMS verification. The verification of the cell phone number is carried out by sending an SMS, in which a link must then be clicked. Only then does the guest receive his personal entry ID. If the host wants to complete an evaluation of a day, the responsible office of the cantonal doctor is automatically informed by e-mail.

Recommendation by health authority of the canton of Bern

The get-entry.ch web application thus also meets the recently tightened ordinances of various cantons, which require event organizers to collect correct data and verified cell phone numbers. Bernese Health Director Pierre Alain Schnegg recommends the use of get-entry.ch: "We support technical solutions that ensure the collection of correct personal data and help protect the population with seamless contact tracing." In particular, he considers the verification of the date of birth to be very useful.

No fixed costs for organizers

For the visitors get-entry.ch is free of charge. In addition, the SMS dispatch for the verification is not charged. Each new generation of an entry ID is also free of charge. For the organizers, the following monthly invoices are made per entered data record: Up to 2500 entries/month CHF 0.30 per entry and from 2501 to 5000 entries/month CHF 0.20 per entry. From 5001 admissions/month, billing is on a quotation basis. "A certain level of security comes at a price," explains Remo Tschanz on behalf of the owners of the three companies involved. "However, we are convinced that the costs are very moderate at 30 or 20 centimes per admission. In addition, the organizers are not taking any financial risk, as there are no fixed costs and costs are only incurred when an event is actually held."

www.get-entry.ch