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Passports can die when they merge the passport with my drivers license, at least here in the US. It would be great if we had a universal ID program. Even bette

Passports can die when they merge the passport with my drivers license, at least here in the US. It would be great if we had a universal ID program. Even better if that program also replaced Social Security numbers. Alas, it'll likely never happen in my life time.

DaSHacka 2y ago
> Passports can die when they merge the passport with my drivers license, at least here in the US. They've been trying to do this, with "Real IDs" https://www.usa.gov/real-id https://www.usa.gov/real-id Not exactly what you're asking for, but it's more akin to making Drivers licenses like passport cards
jltsiren 2y ago
Passports can die when there is reliable internet everywhere in the world. Including remote wilderness areas you paid a lot of money to visit and disaster zones where basic infrastructure has failed.
- eszed 2y ago
  How close are the various satellite systems to achieving this?
  - lazide 2y ago
    Not even close. Half the time you can’t even get workable mobile internet at customs.
    - rad_gruchalski 2y ago
      Isn’t that by design?
      - lazide 2y ago
        In a few spots - but not usually. Unless you count terrible design as intentional design.
- gruez 2y ago
  Why do you need "reliable internet"? There's no reason why a digital id system requires internet access to function. If it's stored on your phone, all it needs to do is be able to transmit a pre-signed blob that contains your biographical details. The verifier doesn't need internet either. All that's needed to verify a given electronic passport is a list of root authorities for every country, which can easily be preloaded onto a device.
  - rad_gruchalski 2y ago
    > If it's stored on your phone What do you if your phone is stolen or broken?
    - Muromec 2y ago
      The same you do when your passport is stolen -- panic and reissue. If anything, reissuing a digital id on a new phone is less hassle, as long as you didn't lose every other physical id, the sim card and reissue codes for esim. All of that already works and wasn't even revoked for military-aged men for the usual reasons. Dealing with consulates and embassies is much more pain in the ass compared to redownloading the app and banging in a number of cold restore cases.
      - rad_gruchalski 2y ago
        Aren't you concerned about the rising dependency on that little spy in your pocket?
        Muromec 2y ago
        Compared to spending half a day just to get to the embassy and hoping they woke up and choose not to be useless today? Or paying notary public and having apostile stump and then paying for DHL? No, no I don’t, not for this reason at least. I can have my x509 issued without a phone as well and it works with an opening source library. I don’t use any of that regularly, but the alternatives I experienced wrre much, much worse.
- Muromec 2y ago
  Those however are not the places where you usually need to show a passport anyway.
whimsicalism 2y ago
There are too many varied political interests against this. I have plenty of left-wing friends who refuse to get realids due to something about illegal immigrants and right-wing people hate it because they view it as central govt overreach.

DaSHacka 2y ago

> Passports can die when they merge the passport with my drivers license, at least here in the US. They've been trying to do this, with "Real IDs" https://www.usa.gov/real-id https://www.usa.gov/real-id Not exactly what you're asking for, but it's more akin to making Drivers licenses like passport cards

jltsiren 2y ago

Passports can die when there is reliable internet everywhere in the world. Including remote wilderness areas you paid a lot of money to visit and disaster zones where basic infrastructure has failed.

eszed 2y ago
How close are the various satellite systems to achieving this?
- lazide 2y ago
  Not even close. Half the time you can’t even get workable mobile internet at customs.
  - rad_gruchalski 2y ago
    Isn’t that by design?
    - lazide 2y ago
      In a few spots - but not usually. Unless you count terrible design as intentional design.
gruez 2y ago
Why do you need "reliable internet"? There's no reason why a digital id system requires internet access to function. If it's stored on your phone, all it needs to do is be able to transmit a pre-signed blob that contains your biographical details. The verifier doesn't need internet either. All that's needed to verify a given electronic passport is a list of root authorities for every country, which can easily be preloaded onto a device.
- rad_gruchalski 2y ago
  > If it's stored on your phone What do you if your phone is stolen or broken?
  - Muromec 2y ago
    The same you do when your passport is stolen -- panic and reissue. If anything, reissuing a digital id on a new phone is less hassle, as long as you didn't lose every other physical id, the sim card and reissue codes for esim. All of that already works and wasn't even revoked for military-aged men for the usual reasons. Dealing with consulates and embassies is much more pain in the ass compared to redownloading the app and banging in a number of cold restore cases.
    - rad_gruchalski 2y ago
      Aren't you concerned about the rising dependency on that little spy in your pocket?
      - Muromec 2y ago
        Compared to spending half a day just to get to the embassy and hoping they woke up and choose not to be useless today? Or paying notary public and having apostile stump and then paying for DHL? No, no I don’t, not for this reason at least. I can have my x509 issued without a phone as well and it works with an opening source library. I don’t use any of that regularly, but the alternatives I experienced wrre much, much worse.
Muromec 2y ago
Those however are not the places where you usually need to show a passport anyway.

whimsicalism 2y ago

There are too many varied political interests against this. I have plenty of left-wing friends who refuse to get realids due to something about illegal immigrants and right-wing people hate it because they view it as central govt overreach.