Lawmakers want government to promote use of digital IDs
Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., shown here leaving the Capitol in May 2022, is backing legislation to promote the use of government-sponsored digital identification services. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
As a growing number of states embrace the use of mobile driver’s licenses, lawmakers are once again looking to move legislation that would give the government more of a role in the development of digital identity ecosystems.
The concept of digital IDs is relatively straightforward — individuals would store their verified personal identification documents on their phones or in an app. Supporters of the approach say that it would provide consumers and businesses with more confidence in the veracity of transactions and interactions, particularly for those conducted online.
Despite limited federal action so far in establishing a regulatory standard around the use of digital IDs, there has been a bipartisan push in recent years to promote the adoption of these types of virtual credentials.
