Iowa’s Department of Transportation (DoT) is testing out new mobile driver’s licences, or mDLs. The pilot project is using software developed by identity solutions provider MorphoTrust USA (Safran).
It’s essentially what it sounds like: an official, state-issued driver’s licence, but on a mobile device. In addition to the convenience of having a driver’s license on one’s smartphone, the mDLs offer added benefits such as allowing information updates such as change of address or organ donor status to be transmitted electronically to the DoT.
Of course, security is a major concern, and MorphoTrust has built both visible and covert security features into the layered digital driver’s licence image onscreen. Moreover, the mDL app uses a custom PIN as well as facial recognition technology developed by MorphoTrust for authentication, adding a sophisticated layer of security onto the fingerprint scanning security already built into most new smartphones.
While electronically-enhanced driver’s licenses, often equipped with biometric features, are on the rise, mobile driver’s licenses are an entirely new area. MorphoTrust is a natural fit to develop mDLs, given the company’s history in government biometrics, and particularly with its efforts in the TSA’s PreCheck program, a fast-track security screening system that uses biometric technology to identify passengers at airports.
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August 27, 2015 – by Alex Perala
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