What Could Go Wrong? Apple to Bring State-Issued Digital IDs to Phones: Report

Apple’s rapid expansion into new areas could cause new controversy. According to reports, the anti-free speech Big Tech firm has joined forces with states governments in order to make iPhones digital ID cards. Is there anything that could go wrong here?

CNBC obtained confidential information concerning state-issued digital ID (ID) rollout. Apple seems to have the majority of power, but the state funding the initiative is being imposed by the half-dozen states that the program has been set. The documents reportedly reveal that states will have to allocate “personnel and resources” to support the digital ID launch, perform “quality testing” and offer the new digital IDs “‘proactively’” and at zero extra cost to citizens getting the ID, CNBC wrote. States will also reportedly have to encourage adoption of the digital IDs with “key stakeholders in federal and state government” such as law enforcement and the Internal Revenue Service.

Given Big Tech’s pressure to suppress free speech, the move by Apple to have control over IDs could be a worrying one. “I don’t know of any other example where government-owned systems and identity credentials were made available for commercial purposes in this manner,” tech consultant Jason Mikula reportedly told CNBC.

Apple will have approval power over all marketing but states must “‘prominently feature the Program,’” CNBC reported. CNBC reports that Apple wants states to comply with International Organization for Standardization security standards, which Apple developed. However, the state will likely be responsible for these efforts and taxpayers will bear the cost. Georgia and Arizona will reportedly be the first states to roll out digital driver’s licenses with Apple Wallet. 

Apple is said to hold almost total control of the new digital identification program. Apple’s “‘sole discretion’ for key aspects of the program” include the date of program launch, requirements for states to report on the initiative’s performance and what device types will be compatible with the digital IDs, CNBC reported. “It’s like a vendor relationship, which makes no sense to me because it’s the states that have the monopoly on what they’re giving to Apple,” Mikula reportedly commented to CNBC. 

This program raises concerns about security and surveillance for people who are familiar with Big Tech’s penchant for targeting censorship and the way they operate.

It isn’t the first time that the government and tech sectors have collaborated in potentially dangerous ways. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was reportedly “considering hiring private companies to analyze public social media for warning signs of extremist violence” in August, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It’s also not the first time Apple has proposed potentially invasive technology. Apple’s April ties with communist China were criticized. Apple was also criticized in September over its proposed use of invasive iPhone technology for diagnosing depression, autism, and cognitive decline. This would have involved the gathering personal information. Apple is also said to have included COVID-19 contact trace technology in its 2020 iPhone update.

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