Apple's iOS 15 to reportedly use facial recognition to validate ID cards

Code discovered in the latest iOS 15 beta reveals Apple is working on a security system for its upcoming digital ID card feature that relies on pictures of a user's face for identity verification.

Apple is set to expand the utility of its Wallet app in iOS 15 with support for government-issued IDs, allowing users to carry digital versions of credentials like a driver's license on iPhone.

According to code in the latest iOS 15 beta, released today, users looking to add an ID to Wallet will be guided through an onboarding process that involves capturing images of their face to verify a claimed identity, reports 9to5Mac.

The procedure is similar to setting up Face ID, with an animation prompting users to rotate their head and perform other movements while the front-facing camera captures image of their face, the report said. Unlike Face ID, which captures multiple angles of a user's face, ID card verification asks users to look sideways, close their eyes, raise their eyebrows, open their mouth, and smile, the report said.

How the system matches captured imagery with digital card data is unknown, though iOS 15 code suggests Wallet will perform the verification phase using on-device processing. Facial recognition appears to play a role in the technology.

The security measure should alleviate some concern regarding identity theft.

Apple announced ID card support at WWDC 2021 in June. The feature will first roll out in the U.S. to store IDs, complete with name, date of birth, photo and Real ID status, in a secure and encrypted location on iPhone for later recall. Access is protected by Face ID or password.

Only a few U.S. states have launched digital IDs that could one day be compatible with Wallet. Others are trialing the technology, though it is unclear if those systems will be ready when iOS 15 debuts this fall. Apple in June said it is working with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to facilitate use of the feature at airports.

In its bid to replace wallets and keys with iPhone and Apple Watch, the Wallet app is also gaining new digital key capabilities for smart homes, hotel rooms, and work badges. Separately, modern Apple Watch models running watchOS 8 will be able to lock, unlock, and start vehicles with CarKey support.

15 Comments

apple_evo 14 comments · 7 Years

About 3 years ago

This is a very slippery slope.

Imagine the day when you chose to put your drivers license on your phone, and you get pulled over. You'll need to unlock your phone and swipe over to your wallet-app and bring up the ID to show the officer. What's that officer going to do next? Go back to his squad car and scroll through your entire unlocked phone looking for anything and at everything. You'll say that's an invasion of privacy and they will say "hey you unlocked it and gave it to me!!"

If anyone at Apple cares about the right to privacy (at least in the United States), there should be a way to open the wallet, load the ID of choice and display it until a password is entered or the phone runs out of battery.

swat671 156 comments · 9 Years

About 3 years ago

apple_evo said:

This is a very slippery slope.
Imagine the day when you chose to put your drivers license on your phone, and you get pulled over. You'll need to unlock your phone and swipe over to your wallet-app and bring up the ID to show the officer. What's that officer going to do next? Go back to his squad car and scroll through your entire unlocked phone looking for anything and at everything. You'll say that's an invasion of privacy and they will say "hey you unlocked it and gave it to me!!"

If anyone at Apple cares about the right to privacy (at least in the United States), there should be a way to open the wallet, load the ID of choice and display it until a password is entered or the phone runs out of battery.

You've heard of the 4th Amendment, right? Ok. Good.

avon b7 8008 comments · 20 Years

About 3 years ago

apple_evo said:

This is a very slippery slope.
Imagine the day when you chose to put your drivers license on your phone, and you get pulled over. You'll need to unlock your phone and swipe over to your wallet-app and bring up the ID to show the officer. What's that officer going to do next? Go back to his squad car and scroll through your entire unlocked phone looking for anything and at everything. You'll say that's an invasion of privacy and they will say "hey you unlocked it and gave it to me!!"

If anyone at Apple cares about the right to privacy (at least in the United States), there should be a way to open the wallet, load the ID of choice and display it until a password is entered or the phone runs out of battery.

I very much doubt the implementation of this feature will require full unlocking of the phone as a requirement.

dope_ahmine 264 comments · 4 Years

About 3 years ago

apple_evo said:

This is a very slippery slope.
Imagine the day when you chose to put your drivers license on your phone, and you get pulled over. You'll need to unlock your phone and swipe over to your wallet-app and bring up the ID to show the officer. What's that officer going to do next? Go back to his squad car and scroll through your entire unlocked phone looking for anything and at everything. You'll say that's an invasion of privacy and they will say "hey you unlocked it and gave it to me!!"

If anyone at Apple cares about the right to privacy (at least in the United States), there should be a way to open the wallet, load the ID of choice and display it until a password is entered or the phone runs out of battery.

The Wallet already has exactly this feature. You don't need to unlock the phone to show a Wallet card from the home screen, and it stays locked.

mike1 3432 comments · 10 Years

About 3 years ago

apple_evo said:

This is a very slippery slope.
Imagine the day when you chose to put your drivers license on your phone, and you get pulled over. You'll need to unlock your phone and swipe over to your wallet-app and bring up the ID to show the officer. What's that officer going to do next? Go back to his squad car and scroll through your entire unlocked phone looking for anything and at everything. You'll say that's an invasion of privacy and they will say "hey you unlocked it and gave it to me!!"

If anyone at Apple cares about the right to privacy (at least in the United States), there should be a way to open the wallet, load the ID of choice and display it until a password is entered or the phone runs out of battery.

Please stop. You're never going to have to unlock your phone and hand it over. If there's ever a universal process for digital ID and law enforcement, it will involve the officer scanning a QR-type code on the phone. They already scan registration stickers in my state.

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