The Mobile ID That Shares Only What's Needed
Monday's issue was about how ID-based age checks shut people out and over-collect your data. Here's one tool that pushes the other way: a mobile driver's license (mDL) that can prove a single fact, like "over 21," without revealing the rest of your ID.
What it is
A mobile driver's license is a digital version of your state ID you add to Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or your state's own app. It's built on a standard (ISO 18013-5) that supports "selective disclosure," so a verifier can ask one question, "is this person 21 or older?", and get a yes or no, without seeing your name, address, or date of birth.
A growing list of US states now issue them, including Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Georgia, and California, with more added regularly.
Why it helps
When you hand a bouncer or cashier your physical license, they see everything on it, your full name, your home address, your exact birthdate. A mDL age check can share just the part that matters. The TSA already accepts mobile IDs at many airport checkpoints, and age-restricted retail is starting to.
The honest catch
This isn't a cure-all, and it's worth knowing the limits:
It's state-dependent, and acceptance is still limited, so you'll carry your physical card for a while yet.
It leans on Apple and Google wallets.
Done badly, a digital ID can create new tracking (a verifier logging every check). Privacy groups, including EFF, have pushed for mDLs that don't "phone home." Selective disclosure is the feature that makes it a privacy win; use it where it's offered.
How to start
Check whether your state offers a mobile ID (search your state's DMV plus "mobile ID," or look in Apple Wallet / Google Wallet under adding an ID).
Add it following your state's steps (a one-time identity check).
When a verifier supports it, choose the "share age only" option instead of showing the full card.
Quick tip
Even where you can't use a mDL yet, the habit is the point: when something asks for your ID, ask whether it needs your whole identity or just one fact. Share the one fact when you can.
Up next · Friday
A five-minute walk-through to cut down what your phone's wallet and apps reveal about you.