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Louisiana Adopts Digital Driver's Licenses (ieee.org)
Louisiana is rolling out a new digital driver's license app, called LA Wallet, that will let retailers digitally verify the age of their customers, if required. "According to IEEE Spectrum, Louisiana's Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control is expected to announce that bars, restaurants, grocery stores and other retails are allowed to accept LA Wallet as proof of age, according to the app's developer, Envoc." From the report: The Baton Rouge-based company launched LA Wallet in June, after two years of collaboration with state officials. But so far only law enforcement officers making routine traffic stops are required to accept the digital driver's license. Next week's announcement would greatly broaden the scope of the app's use. About 71,000 people have downloaded LA Wallet so far, says Calvin Fabre, founder and president of Envoc. The app costs $5.99 in the Google Play and Apple App stores. Users buy it, create an account with some basic information from their physical driver's license, and create a password. That's it. No biometric security -- like iris scans or facial recognition -- required. The app links back to Louisiana's Office of Motor Vehicles database, which completes the digital license with the user's photo and additional information. Any changes to the license, like a suspension or renewal, are updated immediately in the app with a wireless network connection.
To present the license -- say, to a cop during a traffic stop -- the driver (hoping his phone battery isn't dead) opens the app with a password, shows the cop the digital license image, and authenticates it by pressing and holding the screen to reveal a security seal. The license can be flipped over to show a scannable bar code on the back. There's also a handy security feature that allows anyone with the LA Wallet app to authenticate another person's Louisiana digital driver's license. It allows the bar patron to select which information she would like to reveal to the bartender -- in this case, simply the fact that she is over 21. That information is displayed on the phone with a photo and embedded QR code. The bartender scans the code with her app, which tells her that the woman seated on the other side of the bar is indeed over 21. None of the customer's personal information, such as her name, birth date, or address, is displayed or stored on the bartender's phone.
To present the license -- say, to a cop during a traffic stop -- the driver (hoping his phone battery isn't dead) opens the app with a password, shows the cop the digital license image, and authenticates it by pressing and holding the screen to reveal a security seal. The license can be flipped over to show a scannable bar code on the back. There's also a handy security feature that allows anyone with the LA Wallet app to authenticate another person's Louisiana digital driver's license. It allows the bar patron to select which information she would like to reveal to the bartender -- in this case, simply the fact that she is over 21. That information is displayed on the phone with a photo and embedded QR code. The bartender scans the code with her app, which tells her that the woman seated on the other side of the bar is indeed over 21. None of the customer's personal information, such as her name, birth date, or address, is displayed or stored on the bartender's phone.
Here's my unlocked phone, officer.
How very French of them.
It will be hacked in 3...2...1...
to get people to willingly hand over their UNLOCKED phones to law enforcement.
If the mobile device needs to be unlocked to present the information (regardless of the status of the app and license itself), then in many cases Law Enforcement has already bypassed the initial roadblock to getting a user to unlock his/her phone to access other data on it.
If, on the other hand, this is available from the lock screen (with the mentioned additional authentication), much like a payment card via Apple Wallet or similar capabilities, then it's pretty convenient without an obvious security circumvention issue.
I didn't see an indication in the article or on the app delveloper's site to indicate which of these options is the case.
Next. -->
Tracks you, tracks your purchases for gov, and provides "unlockable" phones for cops when pulled over.
How about a big fat NO FUCKING THANKS
Good times.
One should not feed the trolls.
In NY State I no longer need to "prove 12 points of my identity". The DMV Clerks check my pic to, "Yup, that's him." Been that way for a few years now.
Instead of spending a lot of time and effort creating a system to enforce Puritanical drinking age regulations, lower the drinking age to 18 and don't require people "show their papers" just to be able to buy a pint of beer. It works like this in most of the non-Islamic world, and the world outside the US mostly gets by just fine. Governments spend a lot more time than is sane trying to enforce rules against victimless crimes.
The LA WALLET Application... Privacy Policy describes what personal data we obtain through the Application and how we use, store and share that information... note that ENVOC may change the terms of its Privacy Policy at any time without prior notice to you
How is this better than a physical document? This looks more like an attempt at showing off how cutting edge they are.
Our K-12 schools are shite but we issue digital driver's license.
Digital license, make it your lock screen wallpaper. Police need to see your ID, turn on your phone, and you won't have to unlock it. ;)
Do the bartenders or police actually ask you to open the App in front of them or can you already have it on your screen?
You could screenshot the app and then photoshop over the QR code with the QR code of someone else you know (over age 21) and select to only share Age for the bartender/club scenario.
Last thing I want is my only form of ID to be in my phone. What happens during a traffic stop usually? Cop takes your licence/id back to their car to write up your ticket and or look for other things like warrants. What are they going to do in this case, take your phone with them. No way I want a cop having unattended access to my phone.
It prevents bars from using mandatory ID checks to build databases of customers... which most "bar code verifier" stations do when bouncers check ID. That level of access control is an objectively good thing.
There are many other problems (for instance, this app probably uses that to record how many times you go to bars, and syncs your phone to real name in a way that is sold to FB) that are added. But, you know, one step forward, four steps back.
Your ad here. Ask me how!
+50
Only thing dumber is the CBP passport app for entering the USA.
Like I'll have my phone powered on at any border control point. Certainly wouldn't have a fingerprint unlock anything.
I'm not an idiot.
Did you strain anything reaching for that?
Thems 'publicans is EVIL!
Because she's a slut and he's in the friendzone.
NO BEERS FOR U
"from the surprisingly-progressive-for-Louisiana dept."
Oh? How about "what will inevitably go horribly wrong for all who decide to use this"?
Have gnu, will travel.
This is most certainly some sort of satanic cult plan to control the flow of ... most fun things.
If firefighters fight fire, and crimefighters fight crime, what do freedom fighters fight? - George Carlin
This is really absurdly complicated. This is like a Rube Goldberg version of an ID. Who would waste time with something this stupid? As others have said, this takes a non-problem, and makes a very complicated, expensive, time-consuming problem out of it.
I don't respond to AC's.
A digital driver's license on your phone? What could possibly go wrong?*
Thank goodness phones are never hacked, infected, spoofed, or fall prey to malware.
I predict we'll see another story about this within the next year or two about how some poor schmuck had his 'secure' digital driver's license hacked or deleted or altered or revoked, and got arrested and taken to jail or whatever because of it.
----
* I feel like I'm saying "What could possibly go wrong" a lot these days, but damn if I'm not proved right nearly every time I do.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
It used to be that some states had 18 and some had 21 as the drinking age. Shockingly, there was a lot of drunk driving one the borders between those states. So, they raised the 18 states to 21 to prevent all the DUIs.
Why didn't they force the 21 states to lower it to 18? Because the federal government cannot really force states to make stuff legal, but can to make things illegal.
Your ad here. Ask me how!
Once you willingly unlock your phone for the officer. he can legally search it if he feels it is necessary. No thank you, I will stick with the card.
Hardly anyone is going to want to use a digital license for traffic stops or getting through the airport, but what about all those times you need information from your ID for other purposes? Instead of squinting at tiny numbers and transcribing them to paper, being able to use an app to beam data you specify to people who need it would be a huge improvement. Being able to incorporate all forms of ID, including passports and professional certs, would be better still.
That is an excellent question, it has been on here for at least 15 years.
was it before or after APK's first HOSTS file post?
Let me know when they've made the app part of the lock screen with a PIN or something so it's protected but I don't need to have unlocked my phone and offered it to someone in order to use it.
LITTLE GIRL: But which cookie will you eat FIRST? C. MONSTER: Me think you have misconception of cookie-eating process.
Instead of making it harder to create forgeries, this will reduce the effort required to provide fake IDs for people.
I am sure they will use the extra time to give back to their communities and spend quality time with their families.
I would bet my retirement that this is just another step towards requiring a smart phone to vote 2020, which is sure to get rid of those pesky poor voters. F**k Louisiana!