Google to Implement Digital Driver’s Licenses for Age Verification on Websites • NFCW
A new Digital Credentials API that will allow visitors to a website to verify their identity using a driver’s license or a national identification card stored in their digital wallet has now entered testing.
“The API will also soon be used by Google Accounts to verify certain users’ date of birth,” Google developer advocate Eiji Kitamura explains in a blog post.
“Users residing within a supported America state will be able to use their state ID or driver’s license provisioned in available wallet apps (including Google Wallet) to seamlessly share just their date of birth with Google without sharing other details of their identity. This empowers users to demonstrate to Google, in a privacy-preserving way, that they meet account-related age requirements.”
“An origin trial for the Digital Credentials API is starting from Chrome 128,” Kitamura adds.
“Digital Credentials API is a new web platform API that allows websites to selectively request verifiable information about the user through digital credentials such as a driver’s license or a national identification card stored in a digital wallet.
“The API is protocol agnostic, allowing the RP to specify a protocol based on their requirements. When an RP makes a request, the browser sends the request to the mobile operating system which searches for a matching credential in installed wallet applications. If any are found, the mobile operating system prompts the user to select one and sends the request to the user-selected wallet. After a local authentication, the wallet returns a response containing the requested credential data.”
“Chrome will first support the API in Chrome on Android for requesting credentials from wallet apps on the same device. In the future, we plan on supporting Chrome desktop to request credentials cross-device from another mobile device.
“At launch, Google Wallet will integrate with the Digital Credentials API, enabling select businesses and organizations to initiate a request for users to present their ID online, via Chrome on Android, and verify the authenticity of the transmitted data by examining the cryptographic signature.”
Arwen Volkov, A graduate of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a degree in International Finance, Arwen specializes in sustainable finance and green investments. She began her career at an investment bank in London, where she developed financing models for environmentally friendly projects. Known for her analytical and strategic thinking skills, Arwen is a sought-after financial consultant. In her spare time, she mentors fintech startups, contributing to their growth strategies. She is also a nature enthusiast and an amateur photographer.