Are US States Ceding Control of Identities to Apple?

Apple is making US states foot part of the bill and provide customer support for its plan to turn iPhones into digital identification cards. At the same time, this has brought questions from industry observers about why local authorities are ceding control of citizens’ identities to the tech giant.

According to confidential documents obtained by US television news channel CNBC, the company requires states to maintain the systems needed to issue and service credentials, hire project managers to respond to Apple enquiries, prominently market the new feature and push for its adoption with other government agencies, all at taxpayer expense, according to contracts signed by four states.

Apple announced last June, at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), that its users could soon store state-issued identification cards in the iPhone’s Wallet app, presenting it as a more secure and convenient way for customers to provide credentials in a variety of in-person and remote settings. The feature, when combined with Apple’s biometric security measures like Face ID, could cut down on fraud.