US govt targets standards harmonization in digital ID; New York wants its own

A pair of new developments could give digital IDs a nudge forward in the United States.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is looking for input on how best to create a unified standard for strongly verifiable and trustworthy IDs on mobile devices. At the same time, the state of New York says it will join those of its peers who have some version of a mobile driver’s license.

NIST is hoping that working with businesses, agencies and academic researchers will result in three outcomes. Comments are due by March 31.

First, the agency, through its Computer Security Resource Center, wants to create an open-source reference implantation of mobile identification.

Also, officials want to create demonstrations and prototypes in the lab.

Finally, they want to publish best practices for deploying secure, resilient and interoperable mobile driver’s licenses.

The group will focus on ISO/IEC 18013-5 and the draft of 18013-7. It is expected to evaluate, implement and test the claims behind the pair.

Meanwhile, New York’s Motor Vehicles Department is setting up to distribute mobile driver’s licenses this year.

Department officials briefly mentioned the idea last month, but it apparently went largely unnoticed. Trade publication Government Technology says few want to talk about it right now because it is early in the process.

Utah’s ID has expanded to providing proof of identification at the state’s Salt Lake City airport. The state of Pennsylvania appears on the road toward a “watered-down” digital ID. Between the two states, Iowa officials said in January they are delaying the rollout of their optional digital ID.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  driver's license  |  interoperability  |  ISO 18013-7  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  New York  |  NIST  |  standards  |  U.S. Government