Apple Wallet will also store identity documents

After storing loyalty cards, means of payment and transport tickets, Apple Wallet is now also capable of storing identity documents. Apple has just announced its partnership with the state of Arizona on this subject, opening the way to new uses for its Wallet.

FACTS

• The American web giant has just introduced its newest service. Launched in collaboration with the state of Arizona, it allows locals to store their driver's license and ID card legally and securely in their Apple smartphone or smartwatch.

• Owners of iPhones or Apple Watches in the region will be able to present their licenses or ID cards from their digital devices at select security checkpoints at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

• The process of registering IDs within Apple Wallet is relatively simple. Users are asked to :

• Start the operation by clicking on the "+" button at the top of the Apple Wallet screen,

  • select the new "driving licence or ID card" option,

  • take a photo of their front and back,

  • perform facial recognition via Face ID.

• The information is then sent directly to Arizona State Security for verification and validation.

• The service is available on iPhone 8 or later running the iOS 15.4 operating system, as well as Apple Watch Series 4 or later, running watchOS 8.4 or later.

• Idemia, as the largest provider of driving licences in the United States (the group issues more than 55 million driver's licenses in the country each year in 35 states), is partnering with Apple to roll out its new service. Idemia is supplying Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) readers to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to enable them to accept Apple Wallet as a medium for identity documents.

ISSUES

• A world first to follow: Arizona is the first state to recognise the validity of a driver's licence and ID card as official documents in Apple Wallet. Apple already states that beyond Arizona, other states will soon allow more Americans to use the service. Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio and the territory of Puerto Rico will be involved.

• A phased deployment: Apple's new service is currently only recognised by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Users of the service will only be able to use it to identify themselves in the queues and security checks at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

MARKET PERSPECTIVE

• The service was announced a few months ago. It had indeed been the subject of a presentation, last September, during the announcement and presentation of the version of IOS 15. Particularly sensitive in terms of security, the feature is now officially launched a few months behind Apple's schedule.

• While its deployment should take place soon in the United States, it may well be delayed in Europe. The European Commission is working to provide a reliable and secure digital identification tool for all Europeans and has just strengthened the supervision of the activities of digital giants in Europe by signing the Digital Market Act agreement.