Google joins age assurance market as Wallet use cases, availability expand

Google has unveiled a slate of changes to enable age assurance and identity verification with its digital wallet in more places.

Digital ID passes can be created with UK passports and stored in Google Wallet, and the digital ID can be used to prove eligibility for certain Railcards through a partnership with Rail Delivery Group. Google is also considering certification to the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF), according to a company blog post, which would allow ID passes in Google Wallet to be used for other regulated use cases, like alcohol purchases.

The UK government will issue mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) into the Gov.uk digital wallet, and Gov.uk One Login is DIATF-certified, but the government is not expected to make them available in Google or Apple’s native digital wallets.

Digital IDs issued by the state governments of Arkansas, Montana, Puerto Rico and West Virginia will soon be supported by Google Wallet, the company says, and mobile IDs from Arizona, Georgia, Maryland and New Mexico in Google Wallet will be able to use them for interactions with and access to services from the state DMV.

Google also notes that REAL ID goes live in just over a week on May 7, and that even for those who live in states that do not yet issue compliant driver’s licenses, ID passes based on U.S. passports can be used for TSA security checks on domestic flights.

The company also notes that Amazon account recovery with digital IDs, access to online health services from CVS and MyChart by Epic are expected to go live soon, along with profile verifications on Uber.

The tech giant is also planning to launch its digital wallet in 50 countries where tap to pay is not yet available for its next expansion, according to the announcement.

Age verification with ZKPs

Google Wallet is integrating zero knowledge proofs (ZKPs) so that users can perform age verification without disclosing their identity through the Digital Credentials API. The company says the move protects user privacy while also allowing fast age verification across different mobile devices, apps and websites.

The introduction of technology for age assurance in Google Wallet certainly supports the case for DIATF certification, given that UK age checks fall under the trust framework’s regulatory ambit.

ZKPs can also be used to confirm age with partners that also use digital IDs from Google Wallet for identity verification, like Bumble.

Google is also open-sourcing its ZKP technology.

The company introduced its digital wallet for kids with accounts connected through the Family Link app in November.

Article Topics

age verification  |  digital identity  |  digital wallets  |  Google Wallet  |  identity verification  |  zero knowledge