Today the Identity Project submitted our comments to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on the TSAs proposed rules for mobile drivers licenses.
The term mobile drivers license is highly misleading. The model Electronic Credential Act drafted by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) to authorize the issuance of these digital credentials and installation (provisioning) of government-provided identification and tracking apps on individuals smartphones provides that, The Electronic Credential Holder shall be required to have their Physical Credential on their person while operating a motor vehicle.
So the purpose of mobile drivers licenses isnt actually licensing of motor vehicle operators, as one might naively assume from the name. Rather, the purpose of the mobile drivers license scheme is to create a national digital ID, according to standards controlled by the TSA, AAMVA, and other private parties, to be issued by state motor vehicle agencies but intended for use as an all-purpose government identifier linked to a smartphone and used for purposes unrelated to motor vehicles.
Weve seen the ways that government-mandated tracking apps on citizens smartphones are used by the government of China, and thats not an example we want the US to follow.