Biometric ID Introduced… But Not By The Government

This article, authored by Alexander Pease is republished under the Creative Commons “CC BY-NC-ND” license with permission from The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Apple introduced a new “Digital ID” feature Wednesday that pushes the iPhone even deeper into daily life.

The tool lets iPhone and Apple Watch owners present a U.S. passport at TSA checkpoints in more than 250 airports, according to a press release. For now, the tool only works for domestic air travel, though Apple’s language hints at eventual international use.

The company says Digital ID will let users without a REAL ID or state ID generate one inside Apple Wallet, while stressing it is not a substitute for a physical passport at borders.

Apple has officially launched Digital ID, a new way to add an ID such as a U.S. passport in Apple Wallet in the United States ?

At launch, users will be able to use Digital ID at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports in the U.S. for domestic travel pic.twitter.com/WN6Mli1j2i

— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) November 12, 2025

Setting up a Digital ID requires several layers of photo verification. Users must first scan the passport photo page with their iPhone camera, then scan the passport’s back-page code for authentication. They’re then prompted to take a series of selfies from multiple angles so the system can match their face to the passport image with minimal error.

After verification, the Digital ID is added to Apple Wallet. The rollout drew worry from X users critical of digital IDs in general, though Apple says it cannot see when an ID is presented or what information is shared.

“Biometric authentication using Face ID or Touch ID also ensures that only the owner of the Digital ID can present it,” the press release said.

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