Alaska launches Thales-developed mobile app to house digital ID

The state of Alaska continues its partnership with French public security firm Thales through the launch of a new Alaska Mobile ID app, designed to help users manage and make use of digital credentials.

A press release positions Alaska’s Mobile ID as “a digital companion to the driver license and ID card provided by Thales,” enabling use cases for identity verification and age assurance with selective disclosure. With the new app, citizens statewide can register for the mobile ID using their smartphones, by scanning their ID or driver’s license and taking a selfie for biometric ID verification.

“The Alaska Mobile ID empowers Alaska residents with a secure and convenient way to verify their identity without having to show potentially private information used on their physical ID cards, while offering the most up to date and accurate information to those verifying identities” says Lauren Whiteside, division operations manager for the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles.

Tyson Moler, vice president for Thales identity and biometric solutions in North America, calls the digital identity rollout a “transformative project” and “a significant step forward for digital government service initiatives set forth by Governor Dunleavy and Commissioner Vrana.”

Per the release, the Alaska Mobile ID is registered with the AAMVA Digital Trust Service, making Alaska one of nine states participating fully in the secure public-key system for validating IDs. The app combines strict adherence to ISO standards and AAMVA compliance for seamless interoperability with Thales’ advanced mobile core security mechanisms. The company says this fortifies two key pillars of mobile drivers license (mDL) adoption: security and interoperability.

The release itself is noteworthy for a turn of phrase that points to a near future in which digital identity is an established norm in society. Alaska’s digital credential, it says, “can be used wherever digital ID technology is accepted worldwide.” That includes TSA checkpoints, local businesses and in encounters with state law enforcement.

Article Topics

AAMVA Digital Trust Service  |  Alaska  |  Alaska mID  |  digital ID  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  mobile app  |  selfie biometrics  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security