Drivers in the UK might soon be able to keep a digital version of their driver’s licence stored on their iPhones within Apple’s Wallet app.
The CEO of the UK Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) tweeted an image of “a little prototype of something we’re working on.”
So here's a little prototype of something we're working on #drivinglicence pic.twitter.com/a5eItrdiNI
— Oliver Morley (@omorley1) May 13, 2016
The image above shows a driver’s licence stored in Apple’s Wallet – an app which allows iOS users to store coupons, boarding passes, event tickets, store cards, in addition to credit cards, loyalty cards, and debit cards.
In a separate tweet Morley stressed that it’s just a prototype (there is no word on when it will be introduced yet. He added that the feature will be an “add-on”, not a replacement for photo card ID.
1) prototype = no timeline yet
2) not replacement for photocard, an add-on
3) security our priority
4) possible because #nomorecounterpart— Oliver Morley (@omorley1) May 13, 2016
Going digital would make delivering licences instant and help tackle identity fraud by making it harder to steal documents. However, there are still fears about security – related to sensitive data being kept stored on a digital platform – and some have raised concerns about what would happen when a user’s phone runs out of battery.