The rise of mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) marks a significant shift in how governments issue and manage identification, offering convenience and security for users. A growing coalition of privacy advocates, including major organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), has launched the “No Phone Home” campaign to address critical privacy risks embedded in the technological standards of mDLs. This campaign, supported by lawmakers and government officials, underscores the tension between technological innovation and the protection of individual privacy in an increasingly digital world.
How Data Privacy is Affected By The Rise in Mobile Driver’s Licenses
Mobile driver’s licenses are digital versions of traditional identification cards, stored on smartphones and often accessible through apps like Apple Wallet or state-specific platforms. Over a dozen U.S. states, including Arizona, Colorado, and New York, have adopted mDL programs, with features like selective data sharing and encrypted storage touted as privacy enhancements. For example, Arizona’s mDL allows users to prove their age without revealing their address, offering a layer of control over personal information. Similarly, New York’s Mobile ID, used by over 200,000 residents, is accepted at TSA checkpoints and select businesses, demonstrating strong adoption.
The appeal of mDLs lies in their convenience and security. Users can renew licenses, update records, or verify identities without visiting a DMV office, saving time and reducing paperwork. States like Ohio and California emphasize that mDLs are encrypted and require biometric authentication (e.g., Face ID or PIN), ensuring that data is secure and only shared with user consent. These features align with broader trends in digital government services, where states aim to match the efficiency of private-sector apps.
The No Phone Home Campaign: A Response to Surveillance Risks
Despite these benefits, the No Phone Home campaign, launched in June 2025, highlights significant privacy risks in the technological standards underpinning mDLs, particularly the ISO/IEC 18013-5 standard. This standard, set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), includes a “phone home” function that enables data about user behavior such as where and when an ID is used—to be transmitted back to government agencies or verifiers. Privacy advocates argue that this capability facilitates centralized tracking, creating a “Pandora’s Box” of potential abuses, from government surveillance to data breaches by malicious actors.
The campaign, backed by groups like the ACLU and EFF, calls for a revised standard that eliminates phone-home functionality, ensuring that mDLs cannot track users without their knowledge or consent. As noted in a post by @brave on X, this surveillance capacity can be activated by ID issuers without user awareness, raising alarms about transparency and control. Another post by @NizaGonzalez_ underscores the privacy “red flag” of phone-home verification, emphasizing its potential to enable pervasive monitoring.
The ACLU’s Jay Stanley, in a 2024 report, warned that digital IDs are far more powerful than physical ones, amplifying risks of privacy invasion and inequity. Unlike plastic cards, mDLs can be linked to real-time state databases, enabling dynamic data retrieval that could expose sensitive information. The campaign argues that even if states pledge not to activate phone-home functions—as many have done—this “privacy by policy” approach is insufficient, as policies can change with new administrations or unforeseen circumstances.
Data Privacy Risks in Detail
- Centralized Tracking and Surveillance
The phone-home function, embedded in the ISO standard, allows verifiers (e.g., law enforcement or businesses) to retrieve data from state databases when an mDL is presented. While this can enhance security by verifying ID authenticity, it risks creating a centralized record of user interactions. For instance, every time an mDL is scanned at a bar, airport, or traffic stop, the verifier could potentially log the user’s location and time of use. Privacy advocates fear this could enable governments to track individuals’ movements without explicit consent, a concern echoed by @savingprivacy on X, who noted the potential for government agencies to collect behavioral data. - Vulnerability to Data Breaches
The reliance on digital platforms increases the risk of cyberattacks. While states like Ohio claim that mDL data is stored in encrypted “buckets” separate from other phone data, the connection to state databases introduces vulnerabilities. A breach in these systems could expose sensitive information, such as names, addresses, or biometric data. Unscrupulous actors could hijack the phone-home function, amplifying the risk of data misuse. Recent incidents, like Oregon’s sensitive data being published on the dark web, highlight the real-world consequences of inadequate cybersecurity. - Policy Instability and Lack of Transparency
Privacy by policy, as described by campaign advocates, relies on state assurances that phone-home capabilities will remain dormant. However, as policies are subject to change, there’s no guarantee that future administrations won’t activate these features. Moreover, the lack of transparency about how data is handled—whether by states or third-party vendors like Idemia or AuthenticID—fuels mistrust. The No Phone Home campaign argues that the technology itself should be designed to preclude surveillance, rather than relying on goodwill. - Inequity and Accessibility Concerns
Digital IDs may exacerbate inequities, particularly for marginalized communities. Not all residents have access to smartphones or are comfortable with digital interfaces, potentially excluding them from services that increasingly favor mDLs. Additionally, the campaign highlights concerns about how mDLs might disproportionately impact communities with historical mistrust in government systems, as seen in healthcare AI discussions. If surveillance capabilities are misused, these groups could face heightened scrutiny or discrimination.
Industry and Government Perspectives
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) agrees that mDLs should not include phone-home capabilities but declined to fully endorse the No Phone Home campaign due to its prioritization of privacy over interoperability. The AAMVA argues that privacy, security, and interoperability are equally critical for a robust mDL ecosystem, reflecting the challenge of balancing user protection with system functionality.
States like California and Arizona emphasize the privacy safeguards built into their mDL programs, such as selective data sharing and encryption. California’s DMV, for instance, partners with AuthenticID to ensure secure identity verification, while Ohio’s integration with Apple Wallet claims that neither the state nor Apple tracks user data. However, these assurances do little to address the structural concerns raised by the ISO standard’s design.
Broader Implications for Digital Identity
The debate over mDLs reflects broader challenges in digital identity systems. As governments and private sectors push for digital transformation, the tension between convenience and privacy intensifies. The No Phone Home campaign draws parallels to other technologies, such as ambient AI listening in healthcare, where data collection raises similar concerns about consent and misuse. The campaign’s call for open, standards-based approaches—free from vendor lock-in echoes sentiments from California’s DMV chief, Ajay Gupta, who advocates for flexibility to ensure broader adoption and user trust.
Globally, mDLs are gaining traction, with countries like Australia and the EU exploring similar systems. The No Phone Home campaign’s focus on international standards like ISO/IEC 18013-5 highlights the need for global alignment on privacy-preserving technologies. If the U.S. fails to address these concerns, it risks falling behind in establishing trust in digital identity systems, potentially undermining public confidence in government services.
The Mobile Drivers License Path Forward
The No Phone Home campaign proposes a clear solution: redesign mDL standards to eliminate phone-home capabilities, prioritizing user privacy over verifier convenience. This could involve adopting alternative standards, like OpenID Connect (OIDC), though advocates like Ruff note its default phone-home setting is also problematic. Technical solutions, such as local data storage or decentralized verification, could further reduce reliance on centralized databases, aligning with calls for privacy-first design.
To rebuild trust, states must enhance transparency about data practices, engage communities in system design, and ensure robust cybersecurity measures. Legislative protections, like Illinois’ requirement that mDLs maximize privacy and prohibit mandatory digital ID use, offer a model for safeguarding user rights. Collaboration between privacy advocates, governments, and tech providers will be critical to creating mDLs that balance innovation with civil liberties.Mo
Mobile driver’s licenses represent a transformative step in digital government, offering unparalleled convenience and security. However, the No Phone Home campaign underscores the urgent need to address their surveillance potential. By eliminating phone-home capabilities and prioritizing privacy-first design, states can harness the benefits of mDLs while protecting individual rights. As digital identity systems evolve, the lessons from this campaign will shape the future of secure, equitable, and trustworthy identification in the U.S. and beyond.
