US passports will be accessible on iPhones and Apple Watches as Apple introduces support for digital IDs within Apple Wallet, however this has also fuelled privacy fears.
Digital IDs will be permissible [1] at TSA checkpoints for domestic flights at 250 airports in the United States for identity verification. More checkpoints and applications for digital ID are anticipated in the future, however these digital IDs will not replace physical passports for international travel. Apple also claims their digital ID will be a “secure and private” way to create [2] an ID in Apple Wallet using information from their US passport.
The announcement outlines the procedure for obtaining a Digital ID using a US passport. This process involves scanning a document, taking a selfie for facial biometrics verification, and conducting an active liveness check. The Digital IDs stored in Apple Wallets similarly utilize biometric authentication methods, including Touch ID and Face ID. The data associated with Digital IDs is encrypted, allowing users to view the requested information and give permission to share it without the need to display or physically hand over their device.
Jennifer Bailey who [3] is Vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said “With the launch of Digital ID, we’re excited to expand the ways users can store and present their identity all with the security and privacy built into iPhone and Apple Watch. Since introducing the ability to add a driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet in 2022, we’ve seen how much users love having their ID right on their devices. Digital IDs brings this secure and convenient option to even more users across the country, as they can now add an ID to Wallet using information from their US passport.”
Apple has been developing digital IDs linked to passports for some time, having integrated state-issued IDs such as [4] mobile driver’s licenses or mDLs into Apple Wallet in 2021. David Pekoske [5] the TSA Administrator said in a press release, “This new and innovative mobile driver’s license and state ID initiative with Apple and states around the country will enable a more seamless airport security screening experience for travellers. This initiative marks a major milestone by TSA to provide an additional level of convenience for the traveller by enabling more opportunities for touchless TSA airport security screening.”
However, this latest announcement has fuelled privacy concerns according to Chiara Castro [6] a News Editor for Tech Radar who have [7] stated that people could surrender their privacy. “As is typical for any tool designed to handle highly sensitive personal data, two core issues are driving the current debate: potential government monitoring and on-device data security,” wrote Castro. Jason Bassler [8] who is the Co-Founder of The Free Thought Project, suggests that this move could lead to a normalization of sacrificing privacy in favour of convenience. Bassler said on [9] his X account, “The surrender of privacy is about to hit warp speed. This is step one of your digital leash, gift-wrapped as convenience. Once it’s normalized it’s irreversible. Then it’s optional. Until it's not.”
A consortium of digital rights organizations and technology experts, including [10] the American Civil Liberties Union, the [11] Electronic Frontier Foundation and [12] the Centre for Democracy and Technology issued [13] a statement asserting that identity systems should be developed without the capacity for authorities to monitor the usage of identity in terms of time or location. “We, the undersigned, believe that identity systems must be built without the technological ability for authorities to track when or where identity is used. Such tracking can occur when either the identity verifier or user’s application interacts with or ‘phones home’ to the identity issuer or another third party. Identity systems that phone home facilitate centralized tracking and control, privacy invasions, and other potential abuses. If this capability exists within a digital identity system, even inactively, it will eventually be used,” said the digital rights organizations.