Digital wallets and boarding passes led the way in a decade-long shift from traditional paper and continue to be available) remains unclear, their use and proliferation are likely to see continued growth in the years to come.
Digital driver’s licenses and IDs fit into the wider utility of fully digital wallets where everything from money and receipts to plane tickets and bus passes can be stored and exchanged more securely. These wallets have been steadily developing into full-featured replacements for physical wallets under big-name organizations such as Apple and IBM.
Despite concerns over potential security risks for individuals, the public has grown more comfortable with the idea of storing and accessing important information on mobile devices. the proliferation of these types of applications can only be expected to grow.
In states around the country, mobile driver’s licenses have already seen preliminary rollouts to the public. While these have been limited in scope for the purpose of testing and are currently not accepted as standalone alternatives to existing, physical IDs, it is intended to change relatively soon.
Arizona and Georgia are the first states to launch an Apple version of their digital licenses with Florida and Utah expected to follow shortly. These pilot programs are paving the way for a more comprehensive shift to digital over the coming years with the ultimate goal being to fully replace the physical version.
One of the leading features of mDLs is to accommodate a fully contactless approach to everyday transactions. Whether a person is required to interact with law enforcement, employers, merchants, etc., they will be able to simply pass their information from one device to another via encrypted channels instead of coming into physical contact with anyone else.
This shift, urged on by the pandemic, goes beyond simply placing data on a person’s phone, where another person must touch or otherwise handle it to retrieve necessary information. Instead, they should be able to facilitate all necessary transactions with their own device via RFID, QR codes or similar authentication options.
As this trend gains momentum, some backers are already signaling its significance as a much more broadly focused tool. Arizona’s AZ Mobile ID, for example, has ambitions to aid in remote verification that facilitates enhanced government services.
Although mobile driver’s licenses and IDs open the door to many new possibilities, they also give fraudsters a new potential avenue for stealing people’s personal information and more. In fact, the American Civil Liberties Union has released a report on the dangers they foresee in the unveiling and widespread use of digital IDs of all types. Among these is the threat posed by hackers who could take advantage of system vulnerabilities to access and abuse individuals’ data.
As we shift from antiquated paper IDs to digital versions, we much also shift from antiquated ID verification methods and look to more accurate, secure alternatives.
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