Apple Focusing on Replacing Passports, Driver’s Licenses with iPhones

A series of patent applications filed by Apple with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), all entitled “Providing Verified Claims of User Identity,” have detailed methods by which a user’s ID can be transmitted and confirmed, hinting at the company’s focus on getting rid of driver’s licenses, and other ID cards in general.

Apple has recently announced iPhone and Apple Watch software updates that will soon let you use your devices as digital keys for your car and now, its goal is to make the iPhone the sole thing anyone has to carry instead of passports, driver’s licenses, and other physical forms of identification, as pointed out by AppleInsider.

“A device implementing a system for using a verified claim of identity includes at least one processor configured to receive a verified claim including information to identify a user of a device,” explains one application.

While Apple’s application chiefly refers to passports, it’s intended that one system be used for many things. “[This] allows a user to obtain a verified claim of identity that serves as a digital identity for the user, that includes information for identifying the user (e.g., information that was provided by the user and verified by one or more systems), and that can be re-used across different service providers,” says the application.

All five of Apple’s patent applications discuss features such as the user’s choice to opt-in to providing ID, and technical details of how the data can be securely transmitted.