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. Check it out: KSL NewsRadio has more: 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.

Steve Martin puts a bluegrass spin on My Only Angel, the lead single from Aerosmith and Yungblud's upcoming One More Time EP

Two suspects have been taken into custody following a daylight theft of crown jewels valued at €88 million (over $102 million) from the famous Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

U.S. airports reported more than 20 incidents of air traffic controller shortages on Saturday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, in the latest sign of the government shutdown’s impact. Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work even if they are not being paid during the shutdown, which started on October 1 as lawmakers deadlocked over the federal budget. The Trump administration has warned that flight disruptions will increase as controllers miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday. The Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday had 22 “triggers” that indicated shortages of air traffic controllers, Duffy told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” program. He called that figure “one of the highest that we’ve seen in the system” since October 1. “That’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” Duffy said. The state of air safety has been closely watched for signs of an increase in delays or cancellations, as observers look for anything that shows the shutdown is making life harder for Americans, which in turn could pressure lawmakers to break the deadlock. According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, there were more than 5,300 U.S. flight delays on Saturday and more than 2,500 by 12 p.m. ET on Sunday. Delays have often been above average since the shutdown began. Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to DailyWire.com/Subscribe to join now. With no end in sight for the federal shutdown, Duffy predicted more traffic controller shortages that would lead to more flight delays and cancellations over the next few days. The FAA said air traffic control staffing issues had already been reported on Sunday for Chicago and Newark flights. The agency issued a ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport due to traffic controller staffing shortages at around 11:30 a.m. ET (1530 GMT). By noon ET on Sunday, the agency had recorded shortfalls in air traffic controllers at six U.S. airports. Air traffic controllers received a paycheck two weeks ago at 90% of their regular pay. But Tuesday’s payday would have been for their first pay period solely for work in October. Controllers facing the prospect of missing a federal paycheck are looking for other sources of income, Duffy said. “They’re taking second jobs, they’re out there looking,” he said. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown. In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks, extending wait times at some airport check points. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington. Duffy and other Republicans have criticized Democrats for opposing a “clean” short-term funding bill with no strings attached. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and David Shepardson; Editing by Sergio Non and Nia Williams)

understand our vulnerabilities

Thomas Soullet isn't like most people