this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2024
390 points (92.6% liked)

Privacy

32506 readers
1182 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

In my (European) country now we can have a digital copy of the driving license on the phone. It specifically says that it's valid to be presented to law enforcement officers during a check.

I saw amazed in the beginning. They went from limited beta testing to full scale nationwide launch in just two months. Unbelievable. And I even thought "wow this is so convenient I won't need to take the wallet with me anymore". I installed the government app and signed up with my government id and I got my digital driving license.

Then yesterday I got stopped by a random roadblock check and police asked me my id card. I was eager to immediately try the new app and show them the digital version, but then because music was playing via Bluetooth and I didn't want to pause it, i just gave the real one.

They took it and went back to their patrol for a full five minutes while they were doing background checks on me.

That means if I used the digital version, they would had unlimited access to all my digital life. Photos, emails, chats, from decades ago.

What are you are going to do, you expect that they just scan the qr code on the window, but they take the phone from your hand. Are you going to complain raising doubts? Or even say "wait I pin the app with a lock so you can't see the content?"

"I have nothing to hide" but surely when searching for some keywords something is going to pop-up. Maybe you did some ironic statement and now they want to know more about that.

And this is a godsend for the secret services. They no longer need to buy zero day exploits for infecting their targets, they can just cosplay as a patrol and have the victim hand the unlocked phone, for easy malware installation

Immediately uninstalled the government app, went back to traditional documents.

(page 2) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago

I have the digital id in case i forget my physical one (despite not legaly being required to carry id) but its in an empty graphene os profile.

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Either have a cheap second hand sim less phone just for that or carry the physical Id or perhaps a copy of the physical id.

[–] sovietknuckles@hexbear.net 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That means if I used the digital version, they would had unlimited access to all my digital life. Photos, emails, chats, from decades ago.

Do they actually take your phone when you present it to them for digital ID? They don't scan it and bring up the same information on their scanner?

[–] Shimitar@feddit.it 2 points 2 weeks ago

No they don't, they just scan it and dont take the phone. But of course, they could.

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago

You can pin the app (android) or have it in guided access mode (ios). Although, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if there's an exploit to get out and access memory it shouldn't. Maybe if you install the govt spyware app in a different user profile (Android) then it will be restricted to that certain memory.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

That's a limitation in your countries implementation then. The owner must have full control of what data to present or at least category based requests.

[–] SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Containerized apps on Android when?

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] EveryMuffinIsNowEncrypted@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Meanwhile, there's me who just likes paper versions of this stuff because I like to be able to order a backup hard copy just in case something happens to the first one.

 


Edit: I'm a fucking dumbass. I was 100% aware they were talking about driver's licenses, yet I was only referring to other vital documents like one's birth certificate, and yet I didn't make the connection in my brain. Apologies. :/

[–] skarn@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Wait, what? There are countries that let you have multiple valid copies of the same ID??

[–] EveryMuffinIsNowEncrypted@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Sorry, my bad. I meant more stuff like the birth certificate and other vital documents. I really should've specified.

(I swear I'm not a dumbass sometimes.)

[–] skarn@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That stuff becomes a moot point once you have a decently working bureaucratic system (if and when). If you can ask for a digital certificate online, and get it in your email three days later, you're not too worried about losing a copy.

On the other hand... I swear to you that multiple times, I have had to present "a birth certificate that was less than 6 months old".

As if the time and circumstances of my birth might have suddenly changed in the last year.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Zoidberg@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

If you use an android phone, just create a separate account on your phone just with the apps you want the police to see. No email, photos, social media, or anything. This way you can switch to the restricted user before giving the cop your phone.

load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›