Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
Should you use a digital ID? Here's what to know
Posted
July 8, 2026
Views
65,770
Likes
1,813
Engagement
2.76%
July 8, 2026
65,770
1,813
2.76%
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5:59Now PlayingYour plastic driver's license is getting a digital upgrade.
Twenty states and Puerto Rico now offer some kind of digital driver’s license. The technology allows you to share a minimum level of information to prove identity by tapping your phone on a reader or scanning a QR code .
Some states allow digital IDs and drivers licenses to be added directly into your mobile wallet. Others offer a state-backed mobile app.
But privacy experts have concerns around digital security and government data collection, warning that frictionless identification could lead to things like increased surveillance pricing.
PBS News’ Tim McPhillips spoke with Ian Grossman, president and CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, and Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union, about how mobile IDs work and what consumers should keep in mind.
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