The next release of Apple’s iOS 26 will be making digital IDs available on your iPhone. Fantastic, right? TSA checkpoints will be more efficient, and your mobile driver’s license (mDL) will be securely stored right in your Apple Wallet. Before we uncritically embrace this shiny new future, let's ask a vital question: Is Convenience Worth the Loss of Privacy?

We're being sold convenience, and like all good sales pitches, it's designed to distract you from the fine print. The fine print here isn’t the storage cap or data plan—it’s about who’s in control of that power. Who controls your digital identity controls you. Currently, however, control is moving step-by-step but inexorably in the other direction. This new system could be much more invasive than anything we’ve ever experienced.

Digital ID = Digital Panopticon?

Supporting the W3C Digital Credentials API and adoption of global standards by iOS 26 Hardification International Standards ISO/IEC 18013-5 and ISO/IEC 18013-7 are among the most significant components. Sounds impressive, right? That part should be reassuring, too, because it means interoperability is in the cards. Interoperability means standardization. Standardization can lead to centralization.

Think of it this way: the digital passport for TSA checkpoints is just the beginning. Apple tells us it’s accepted at TSA checkpoints in participating locations, which includes 10 states plus Puerto Rico. This way, identity verification, or age assurance can be performed. What happens when that expands? What do you do when your mDL is needed to do more than drive, like vote? For accessing healthcare? For opening a bank account? For everything?

It begins with TSA pre-check, and it concludes with a digital panopticon.

Mission Creep is Inevitable, Isn't It?

History is riddled with the aftermath of seemingly benevolent initiatives that became something much more nefarious. Think back to when all surveillance cameras were on street corners in an effort to catch criminals. Now they’re tracking everything from traffic patterns to…well, you name it.

On one hand, we’re reassured that mDocs provide greater user control and promote data minimization, but just how much control do we actually have? You can always check and approve what exact information is being shared. Great. What is it really saying when access to critical services rests on the condition that people share access to that data? What do you think happens when that “consent sheet” turns into a digital shakedown?

This isn't an Apple problem. It's a systemic shift towards a world where our identities are managed, controlled, and potentially exploited by powerful entities, both corporate and governmental.

Irish Folklore & Technological Hubris

In Irish folklore, there are stories of the Sidhe – the fairy folk – bearing gifts that appear benevolent at first. Yet these gifts were never without a cost, often obscured, often disastrous. That's what this digital ID feels like.

We're so enamored with the convenience, the seamless integration, the promise of a friction-free existence, that we're ignoring the potential cost: the erosion of our privacy, the expansion of government control, and the creation of a society where every aspect of our lives is tracked, monitored, and potentially judged.

The Document Provider APIs, which would make it extremely easy for more government-issued credentials to be integrated, should be a huge red flag.

We need a serious conversation about the long-term implications of digital identity. We should fight for strong legal safeguards because mission creep is inevitable unless individual rights are guaranteed. We should advocate for transparency and accountability from the private companies and public agencies accelerating this technology.

  • How secure is this system, really?
  • What safeguards are in place to prevent abuse?
  • Who audits the auditors?
  • And most importantly: What happens when the system is hacked, or the rules change?

iOS 26's digital ID isn't inherently evil. It is a loaded gun. Are we really in favor of giving it away without knowing who’s going to be pulling the trigger?

iOS 26's digital ID isn't inherently evil. But it is a loaded gun. Are we sure we want to hand it over without knowing who's pulling the trigger?