- Apple unveiled a digital ID feature as part of its Wallet app
- The feature encountered privacy backlash
- Some Commentators Concern About Surveillance and Data Security
Two days after Apple announced details of its new digital ID tool, reactions online are still mixed.
According to Apple’s announcement, the tool is “a new way for users to create an ID in Apple Wallet.” For now, this U.S.-only feature will allow users to present their passport via their phone at TSA checkpoints in more than 250 airports across the country.
Some commenters are excited about the convenience promised by Apple’s new tool. However, others are more wary, citing privacy and security risks.
The current debate mirrors those taking place in Europe, where privacy advocates have criticized the UK’s digital ID system and the EU’s EUDI Wallet initiative.
How Apple intends to protect user identification data
As is typically the case with any tool designed to manage highly sensitive personal data, two central questions drive the current debate: potential government surveillance and the security of data on devices.
For its part, Apple promises to have adopted a secure and privacy-preserving approach, including the use of encryption – like that used by the best VPNs – and advanced measures to help prevent tampering and theft.
The major tech giant also guarantees that passport data will only be stored directly on the device, which should ensure that no data is shared with the company. “Only the information necessary for a transaction will be presented,” Apple said.
Users can also use biometric authentication, such as Face ID or Touch ID, to ensure that only the owner can access or change their digital identification data.
What privacy advocates say
Apple’s assurances do not convince everyone in the field of cybersecurity.
According to Jason Bassler, privacy advocate and co-founder of the Free Thought Project, the move could normalize abandoning privacy for the sake of convenience.
Well, Apple just rolled out “digital ID.” The abandonment of privacy is about to reach breakneck speed. This is the first step to your digital leash, gift-wrapped for convenience. Once it is “normalized”, it is irreversible. It then becomes “optional”. Until it doesn’t. pic.twitter.com/HUKsG0SsEXNovember 13, 2025
Other cybersecurity experts have also taken to LinkedIn to voice their concerns.
For example, Swiss InfoSec expert Jean-Paul Donner pointed out that “law enforcement and hackers have tools to bypass iPhone security in certain cases.”
A consortium of digital rights groups and technologists, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), recently released a statement arguing that “identity systems must be built without the technological capacity to allow authorities to know when and where the identity is being used.”
So, is Apple’s infrastructure strong enough to provide the necessary safeguards that our identification data deserves? For the moment, it is not clear.
TechRadar has contacted several additional experts and organizations and will update this news as we receive responses.
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