California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program • Hacker News Board

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#21

Post by almost_usual » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:14 PM UTC

anonuser123456 wrote: post #20

I played around with it. Not worth while at this point. Too many privacy risks (e.g. requires you hand over your phone to police unlocked).

> (e.g. requires you hand over your phone to police unlocked).

If you’re worried about this keep your id card?

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#22

Post by localghost3000 » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:15 PM UTC

anonuser123456 wrote: post #20

I played around with it. Not worth while at this point. Too many privacy risks (e.g. requires you hand over your phone to police unlocked).

This is the thing I think most people aren’t thinking about. I promise you the police either have or are cooking up a way as we speak to image the entire contents of your phone when you hand it to them. Until we get some laws in place around this stuff, no way.

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#23

Post by techie128 » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:15 PM UTC

whartung wrote: post #10

bigmattystyles wrote: post #2

Obligatory - do not hand your unlocked phone over to a cop

From the article they seem to be cognizant of this issue. > The mDL offers a quick and secure identity-check at airports, without handing over your phone.

The marketing material is misleading / naive. Cops routinely ask for ids at traffic stop and take them to their vehicle to verify the driver details in their system. I would imagine they would do the same with digital id and therefore one would need to hand them an unlocked phone as California digital DL doesn't appear to integrate with Apple Wallet yet?

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#24

Post by anonuser123456 » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:16 PM UTC

almost_usual wrote: post #21

anonuser123456 wrote: post #20

I played around with it. Not worth while at this point. Too many privacy risks (e.g. requires you hand over your phone to police unlocked).

> (e.g. requires you hand over your phone to police unlocked). If you’re worried about this keep your id card?

If I need my physical ID for everything, why do I want a digital ID on my phone?

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#25

Post by rgbrenner » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:16 PM UTC

anonuser123456 wrote: post #20

I played around with it. Not worth while at this point. Too many privacy risks (e.g. requires you hand over your phone to police unlocked).

You can use guided access to restrict access outside of the app. Here in Colorado, they just scan the barcode on the back and pull up the info on their own device.

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#26

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:17 PM UTC

kornhole wrote: post #7

I assume the app will attempt to tie my device identifiers such as IMEI, phone number, and advertiser ID to my government digital ID. Then they can tie it to other ID's such as Facebook or other app ID's on the device that also read device identifiers. It probably would fail to install on my Graphene phone that treats all apps as hostile by blocking them from reading any device identifiers. I would rather wait with t…

[deleted]

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#27

Post by ezxs » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:17 PM UTC

I got it when it was in limited beta. It's underwhelming. First problem is that it's another app on your phone instead of using the Wallet app. It's not clear why you wouldn't just use the Android/Apple app.

The second problem is that even the SFO airport doesn't take them as legitimate IDs.

For the folks who are worried about giving your phone to the cop - I guess I am not worried about it much. The cop has the right to lethal force and probably knows more about the situation when you are stopped than you ever will. So they take a look at your phone? I don't assume they will just take and keep it.

If you need to call your mom, probably best not to call her when the cop is right in front of you. If you need to call your lawyer - you are permitted to do that by law. If you are Googling for what your rights are - you are doing it way too late.

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#28

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:17 PM UTC

explodes wrote: post #15

We need data privacy protection laws _before_ implementing something like this, otherwise it is a perfect tool to be abused by overreaching government entities (law enforcement).

[deleted]

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#29

Post by toomuchtodo » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:18 PM UTC

anonuser123456 wrote: post #24

almost_usual wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (e.g. requires you hand over your phone to police unlocked). If you’re worried about this keep your id card?

If I need my physical ID for everything, why do I want a digital ID on my phone?

Backup and convenience potentially.

Re: California DMV Digital ID Pilot Program

#30

Post by bri3d » Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 5:18 PM UTC

The Estonian e-ID system and Qualified Electronic Signature in the EU are good ideas. The government issues you a signed identity. You can use that signed identity to counter-sign challenges in places you'd otherwise (in the US) need to use a Social Security Number and a convoluted private market identity-verification system (for example, the stupid "were you associated with this address 4.5 years ago" things). Like opening a bank account, insurance, paying medical bills, taxes, etc.

Replacing driver's licenses with QR codes for physical interactions, on the other hand, doesn't seem to solve for much. We have a similar system in Colorado and I've never found any value in it; bars and liquor stores are under no obligation to accept it, so they don't.