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Red State To Explore Digital ID Initiative
Utah officials are considering a state-approved digital ID for identity verification online supposedly for ‘privacy’ and ‘security.’
“A new kind of ID could soon change the way Utahns prove who they are and how they protect that information online,” KUTV 2 News Salt Lake City wrote.
“The state requested information from experts about potentially developing a verified digital identity system that would give residents the option to use a state-endorsed credential stored on a digital wallet,” it added.
“You control your identity. You should control your digital identity,” Utah Chief Privacy Officer Chris Bramwell said.
“Pretty much anywhere where you can imagine where you currently need to prove who you are, whether it’s to qualify for a service or you want to eliminate fraud so other people can’t use your data to pretend to be you. Those are obvious use cases for it,” he continued.
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But why go digital? Bramwell said “real harms” are happening right now due to a lack of digital identification, especially when it comes to kids online.
“Specifically, I want to highlight what’s happening with children online,” he said. “A lot of the harms online where children are able to engage online and you don’t know as a parent, are they actually talking to who they say they are?”
Bramwell said there were several examples of Utah children being targeted online by adults pretending to be their peers, a situation that he said was an “identity fraud issue.”
The chief privacy officer said using a digital ID for surveillance or profiling would “never be acceptable in Utah,” and security would be a top priority to prevent data breaches or attacks. Bramwell said other countries have used digital IDs for surveillance, but Utah won’t go down that path.
“We are very concerned about tracking and surveillance coming out of other countries and states around digital identity,” Bramwell said.
Utah is still testing the technology and won’t move forward until lawmakers are confident residents’ data will stay private, and Bramwell said no timeline has been set for implementation. However, he said they hope to have initial proof of concepts ready within a year.
In addition to the passage of SB 260 to implement the optional State-Endorsed Digital Identity (SEDI) initiative, Utah already issues mDLs (mobile driver’s licenses).
“The optional Mobile Driver License (mDL) program is managed by the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Driver License Division (DLD) and provides an official signed copy of your driver license or identification card placed on your mobile device for you to control. Unlike the physical card and barcode, you may limit the data you share with businesses or entities that you interact with,” the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Driver License Division states on its website.
“The mDL was implemented to give you additional convenience and to improve your privacy and control. Privacy protections are built into the software so that no entity can track how you use your mDL, but you have complete transparency into how and where you’ve used your mDL. No data ever leaves your device without your consent. The mDL also gives greater accuracy to the businesses with whom you interact, can eliminate fake IDs, and can lower the incidence of fraudulent purchases, illegal driving, and criminals impersonating citizens,” it continued.
Utah Says Its New Digital ID Protects Privacy | Should You Believe It?
Utah’s been quietly building one of the most ambitious digital ID systems in the country. What started as a pilot for mobile driver’s licenses in 2021 has evolved into something much bigger: a full-fledged… pic.twitter.com/VdzMTyrrxC
— The Eternal Saints (@Eternal_Saints_) October 25, 2025
Biometric Update provided further info:
The State is already issuing mDLs made with technology from GET Group, Scytáles and FaceTec since 2021. The difference is that this version will endorse, rather than bestow identity, and builds in unusual privacy stipulations to hew closer to the principles of self-sovereign identity (SSI).
Chief Privacy Officer Christopher Bramwell tells local outlet KUTV that “the whole point is to give you control of your identity so no one can impersonate you.”
Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, who sponsored SB 260, says “the laws and the parameters to establish its safety and security, and the principles of freedom around that, are getting put into place.”
Bramwell says the new digital ID will not track users or log interactions, and emphasized the security advantages of a decentralized data storage model. The architecture will also avoid the need for Utah to reissue all its residents’ digital IDs if State IT systems are breached.
Utah’s SEDI is intended for use accessing government services, airport security checks and transactions with the private sector. The State’s mDL performs similar functions and is accepted as age verification for alcohol purchases. The SEDI is being built with delegation capabilities to allow parents and guardians to act on behalf of children or vulnerable adults, according to a paper describing the initiative.