Apple iPhone users in California can now add their driver license onto the wallet app. Supposedly, we can use this mobile license at TSA checkpoints at select airports (including my local SFO). I don’t know about you, but I will for sure still bring my actual driver license. I wouldn’t want to miss a flight on the off chance that TSA refuses to accept the digital version (or the scanner goes down). The same way I still carry at least one physical credit card with me, just in case the digital cards momentarily stop working. Or my iPhone dies a sudden death.
It’s kind of iffy, isn’t it? To put everything important into one singular failure point. A thing that runs on battery is liable to fail at anytime, without rhyme or reason. I can understand those who would never take an electric vehicle on a long road trip. Let’s say my iPhone stops working while I am out driving. But my driver license and insurance information is stored on the device! Does that mean I can’t legally drive - whilst carrying a nonfunctioning phone?
That’s not going to be a problem until a time when law enforcement accepts the digital California driver license. As of right now, we still have to bring the physical card with us out on the road.
Not that anyone should hand over their smartphone to a cop so willingly. I think the idea is to eventually have officers be able to scan our digital licenses? The same way we tap our phones at pay terminals in a store. This would be great a car dealership. No longer can sleazy salespeople hold your license hostage while they browbeat you into buying a car at their price. You want to see my driver license? Here, scan the this. I think that would be brilliant.
Forever good friends.