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Apple Launches Driver's License Feature on iPhone in Arizona, More States Coming Soon
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Weeeeellllll....
The passport card isn't quite the same thing as a passport. It's only valid at land border crossings to/from the US (so Canada and Mexico), and as an ID at airports for domestic travel as well as a general purpose photo ID (I like it better for that purpose because my address isn't on it) and proof of citizenship.
I got one because it's much easier than going through the extra rigamarole to get a so-called "real ID" driver's license and is usable in the same contexts where the former is required.
Whether or not CA does the thing to allow the phone to import a CA driver's license, mine still wouldn't work at the airport (once they implement the Real ID rules that they've been putting off because of 'rona), while my passport card does.
Florida has launched its SmartID, they have noted they want to be included in the Apple System as well. Not great now, but at least a start.
One thing the rest of the world doesn’t realize is that the US is simultaneously the most advanced and most digitally fragmented country in the world.Is this some kind of novelty in the U.S.?? in Poland we've had a government app (mObywatel), both for iOS and android, which does exactly the same since 2019.. in this app we have: driver's license, ID card, vaccination certificate, car documents/insurance, electronic prescriptions, etc., no one carries any physical documents any longer... and interestingly enough, it's Americans who make fun of Poles by telling Polish jokes....
We have top tier companies designing world class smartphones, but 12 different states will have 12 different ways of accomplishing a relatively simple task. Some will be easy and some will require navigating arcane Geocities websites from the 1990s.
There's NO WAY I'm handing over my Hello Kitty phone to the piggos. They're just gonna go through it and find all the cool pictures of me and my bro's holding guns while smoking awesome sticky buds in the parking of of the Circle K on a Tuesday night. That and my totally RAD drift videos from when I was stuck in Cleveland when my aunt had hernia surgery. Can't believe my mom made me go. What a bummer. She even made me drive. Never heard someone complain so much about wearing a 5 point harness the whole way across the PA Turnpike.
Enough sarcasm. Again, traffic cops don't give a rats behind about looking at your phone. No one doing car stops on a regular basis is trawling phones.
First, it's a search and seizure issue. Most, if not all states have made is so the only thing a cop can legally look at your phone for is to show electronic documentation, sans a warrant. So that's all ready a total non issue. Has been for almost a decade now.
Second, being a traffic cop sucks. No one wants to be out of their car longer than they have to. The outside lacks things like entertainment, air conditioning/heat, and snacks. Outside usually comes on really hot, or really cold rainy/snowy days. Traffic is akin to running your garbage totes to the curb. It's a necessary evil.
Finally for the most part, cops these days are more inclined to turn a blind eye to just about everything they think they can. Except for the rookies who think it's still cool to stop a car and jaw someone for a busted light. Anyone who's been in police work for more than a year gets that "WTF" look on their face when this sort of fellow calls out his 3rd stop 2 hours into his shift.
Finding things in cars means making arrests. This means taking someone into custody. Possibly getting hurt doing it. Then doing mountains upon mountains of paperwork. Then usually at least 3 court appearances that always seem to take place when you would rather be at your kid's softball game, or down the beach. All for a 50/50 shot at someone ending up on probation?
You can see why so many who get into this line of work quickly see it for the exercise in futility it is, and either move on, or bide their time for a pension.
Well, 11 months to go. I have to go watch Hulu on my phone. It's raining out today.....
Enough sarcasm. Again, traffic cops don't give a rats behind about looking at your phone. No one doing car stops on a regular basis is trawling phones.
First, it's a search and seizure issue. Most, if not all states have made is so the only thing a cop can legally look at your phone for is to show electronic documentation, sans a warrant. So that's all ready a total non issue. Has been for almost a decade now.
Second, being a traffic cop sucks. No one wants to be out of their car longer than they have to. The outside lacks things like entertainment, air conditioning/heat, and snacks. Outside usually comes on really hot, or really cold rainy/snowy days. Traffic is akin to running your garbage totes to the curb. It's a necessary evil.
Finally for the most part, cops these days are more inclined to turn a blind eye to just about everything they think they can. Except for the rookies who think it's still cool to stop a car and jaw someone for a busted light. Anyone who's been in police work for more than a year gets that "WTF" look on their face when this sort of fellow calls out his 3rd stop 2 hours into his shift.
Finding things in cars means making arrests. This means taking someone into custody. Possibly getting hurt doing it. Then doing mountains upon mountains of paperwork. Then usually at least 3 court appearances that always seem to take place when you would rather be at your kid's softball game, or down the beach. All for a 50/50 shot at someone ending up on probation?
You can see why so many who get into this line of work quickly see it for the exercise in futility it is, and either move on, or bide their time for a pension.
Well, 11 months to go. I have to go watch Hulu on my phone. It's raining out today.....
Yep... I travel a lot, so I had to give up my old DL that was good until I turn 65.
The new TSA complaint ones are only good for 8 years.
I've never had to submit a pic to sign into the website though. Just tried now... only needed code from text and PIN.
Oh now.. that’s completely the other way. I do not want Delta scanning my face, and storing my information. At least when companies track you online it’s tied to an IP address or maybe a name. Facial recognition will have my information connected to my literal face.Delta Airlines has this at certain airports.
Delta reveals first-ever dedicated TSA PreCheck® lobby, bag drop
New facial recognition-enabled experience in Atlanta provides hands- and device-free convenience for travelers from curb to gate.news.delta.com
This is such an awesome feature! I really hope that South Carolina will eventually join in. It would be some amazing to be able to leave one more thing at home!
It seems this is targeted for convenience in travel (TSA/airports/fed bldgs/etc). is it possible to drive on the roads with this? will law enforcement 'accept' the digital format, or will you still need to carry your hard-copy license? will it be acceptable across state-lines? (CT using NYS not)
Right now no police department has declared it is okay to drive with the Apple Wallet ID system only, only the TSA has confirmed their support for the Apple system. But there are similar digital ID systems through separate apps. In the states that have those, you can drive with just the app, if you're pulled over the officer scans a QR code on your phone to read the info (and confirm it on the back-end) on their device. And as one state can't access another state's database, you cannot use digital ID from one state in another state.
I think the Apple system will be able to cross state lines since the feds (TSA) work with it. But it will be a while before it's accepted the same as physical ID.
If you have a driver's license, or a passport issued in say the last 5 or so years (give or take) you're most likely in the database all ready.
Some states don't allow it, but a lot do. And if you think the feds don't have access to those pictures without asking the states, then you're kidding yourself.
If you've "participated" in the "system" (DMV, Passport, immigration photo taken/given) in recent memory, you're in the database. The technology exists and is being used to pick out anyone in the database from a crowd just about anywhere their is surveillance cameras hooked into a network. If you've walked through an airport, been to a major sporting event, concert, or other event in a large venue in the US recently, they can figure it out.
The cameras, computing power, and database are that good. Like scary good.
Delta is the LEAST of your privacy worries...
I would guess (only a guess) is that it might have to do with the secure enclave vulnerability. e.g. things running A7-A11.
It might not be, but who knows
The us government literally have vials of my blood. So I understand them having a database and my information. A private for profit business having a profile with my data and face is completely different. Every app I have T-Mobile, Google, Instagram I go out of my way for them to retain as little of my information as possible. That’ll only do so much. But soon we will live in an AR world, where cameras will scan my face and throw products and other things in my face. And I want as little of that as possible. Especially how easily these companies are getting hacked. So it’s not just Delta or the US government I have to worry my information being in the hands of.
Look at the picture illustrating the article above. That’s exactly what it will look like. This is an ID that can only be submitted via nfc at kiosks supporting contactless verification. If you forgot your wallet, you’re out of luck with nothing to show to the officer.
I doubt it. At least for a while. Any place where they want to accept this new ID format, they’ll need to invest in a pricey contactless reader and the respective backup technology (you can’t just show this new digital ID to the guy at the door, you have to tap your device on a special nfc reader to submit it). I doubt any bars or nightclubs in Nevada or anywhere else will be interested in making the investment, considering that for now it will be exclusively for use by iphone users. And not even all, only those living in a few lucky US states/territories.
you can’t just show it to law enforcement because it shows no information on the phone screen. They need to have an nfc device to read it. Which heavily limits its usefulness, as it will take long for those readers to become commonplace.
Exactly. As a tech expo 3 years ago a booth showed off surveillance camera capabilities guessing people's ages from their faces and it was disturbingly close. Add CCTV in many urban areas, license plate readers along highways in on police cars, etc.
Technically, iPhones could be used as a reader. The same tech is used for Apple Pay and a few weeks ago Apple made it so that iPhones could be used to read contactless payments, so Apple could theoretically make an app that handles the reading and then it just contacts the state database to display the information. Similarly, Android phones allow access to apps to read NFC information.
It’s different. What exists in Poland and most other places are digital copies or versions of the physical documents that you just show when you’re asked to. Apple, here, just implemented a way to present the official ID using nfc just like when you pay with Apple Pay or your contactless card. No information is shown on the iphone or apple watch screen anymore, just a generic card image (as shown in the article). The ID info just gets transmitted via nfc when the device is tapped on a designated nfc reader. Plus, it’s built in to the iphone in Wallet. No need to download an external app at all.Is this some kind of novelty in the U.S.?? in Poland we've had a government app (mObywatel), both for iOS and android, which does exactly the same since 2019.. in this app we have: driver's license, ID card, vaccination certificate, car documents/insurance, electronic prescriptions, etc., no one carries any physical documents any longer... and interestingly enough, it's Americans who make fun of Poles by telling Polish jokes....
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It’ll take a while before it becomes commonplace and the guy at the door at a nightclub can do it, though.