CLEAR and Samsung have launched Samsung ID with CLEAR, a passport-backed digital identity that sits inside Samsung Wallet and can be used by US passport holders to verify themselves at airport security checkpoints and at participating venues. The credential is available immediately on Samsung devices running Android 9.0 or higher with a Samsung account.
A user enrolls by linking a valid US passport and completing a biometric enrollment with CLEAR, which then issues a credential that lives in Samsung Wallet. At airport security, the credential can be used at more than 250 TSA checkpoints, the locations where CLEAR already operates its members-only identity verification lanes. Outside the airport, the same credential is being used for age verification at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, where staff can confirm a guest is over the legal drinking age without inspecting a physical ID, and CLEAR has said additional sporting venues will follow.
The launch positions Samsung Wallet as a host for a federally anchored identity credential, rather than only state-issued mobile driver’s licenses. Other Samsung Wallet identity work has focused on adding state mDLs, including California, Colorado, and West Virginia. The CLEAR credential is anchored to a US passport rather than a state driver’s license, an approach that Google Wallet has also adopted for domestic air travel.
“CLEAR’s secure identity platform makes experiences safer and easier, both physically and digitally,” said Caryn Seidman Becker, Chief Executive Officer of CLEAR. Woncheol Chai, Executive Vice President and Head of the Digital Wallet Team at Samsung, said Samsung ID with CLEAR “represents the future and remains at the forefront of digital identity.” Christian Lau, Chief Technology Officer at BMO Stadium, said the credential lets guests “move through the venue faster and more securely.”
CLEAR said the credential is built around user control of the underlying data and that the company does not sell biometric or sensitive personal information. At TSA checkpoints, Samsung ID with CLEAR connects to the existing biometric verification flow CLEAR’s members already use at airports, replacing a separate physical card with a credential on the holder’s phone.
The integration is live for compatible Samsung devices.
Sources: PR Newswire
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
