One State Has Started Putting Drivers' Licenses on Smartphones
http://blog.caranddriver.com/one-state-has-started-putting-drivers-licenses-on-smartphones/
Last August, the Iowa Department of Transportation spent
$40,000 on a pilot program to outfit 15 state employees with a
"mobile driver's license," or mDL. This iOS app displays a
virtual license with a rotatable image of the driver's head
(developers call it the "Harry Potter feature") after users take
a selfie that is verified against their license photo on file.
Mark Lowe, director of the Iowa DOT's Motor Vehicle Division,
says the mDL program is the result of public interest in the
technology, which could be offered to more Iowans this year.
Caller IDSome proposed benefits seem obvious: Instant updates to
addresses and driving records will shorten lines at the DMV, and
eliminating physical licenses saves the state production costs.
Also, merchants and financial institutions see it as a means of
combating fraud. "We can provide more trust in transactions,"
says Lowe. "There may be a revenue stream from that." ... The
driver's license is already the de facto standard for proving
identity, so it follows that cash-strapped states would seek to
monetize this service. A system in which businesses would use a
license-reader app to verify a credit-card customer's identity
might net the state a small transaction fee. Bars and
restaurants could similarly deploy apps for age verification.
Lowe says this could also increase privacy for consumers, who
would no -longer need to expose personal information printed on
a physical license, choosing to share only their photo and proof
of legal drinking age.
- - -
No friggin' way. Not until there's no other option. What could go wrong?
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein ([email protected]): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://google.com/+LaurenWeinstein
Twitter: http://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
I have consulted to Google, but I am not currently
doing so -- my opinions expressed here are mine alone.
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