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The scariest thing is the casual mention of the Digital Credentials API[1]. Forget passkeys, when you need government issued credentials to surf the net, the g

The scariest thing is the casual mention of the Digital Credentials API[1]. Forget passkeys, when you need government issued credentials to surf the net, the good times are over. [1] https://developer.chrome.com/blog/digital-credentials-api-shipped https://developer.chrome.com/blog/digital-credentials-api-sh...

jeroenhd 10mo ago
There are plenty of websites and services already where you need to prove your identity to use them. The digital credentials API is an attempt to standardise that which is already legally required in the US, the UK, Australia, and the EU, except without having to upload a picture of your ID to a shady third party website.
- quantummagic 10mo ago
  I've never had to upload my government ID to any site; and none of my family have either. It's beyond naive to think that enshrining such a protocol won't lead to more widespread adoption, and even legislation requiring it. It's infrastructure that is quietly being built first, and enthusiastic authoritarian governments will eagerly embrace it.
  - raw_anon_1111 10mo ago
    As an American citizen, I had to upload my passport to get an ETA before flying into the UK this year. https://www.gov.uk/eta https://www.gov.uk/eta I also uploaded my passport to Delta to make traveling to both Costa Rica and London faster this year. https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-planning-center/know-before-you-go/get-to-know-flyready https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-planning-center/know-befo...
- realusername 10mo ago
  Have you read their document? They require Google Wallet with the Google Play Services to prove your id on your desktop computer, it's absolute insanity. No thanks. I've never seen a legitimate use case where I need to prove my identity to use a website anyways.
- pjc50 10mo ago
  The UK law is age verification not identity verification. Now, everyone in practice has collapsed that distinction, whether from incompetence or malice..
  - elzbardico 10mo ago
    Age verification inevitably turns into identity verification. And this is by design. Age verification obviously is the excuse to implement identity verification.
mariusor 10mo ago
It's likely that the websites need your actual government issued credentials are not your twitters and your hacker news, but government websites that actually need to link the web user to the citizen. As an example my country has a portal that you use as a citizen to book appointments to government institutions, keeps you updated about the status of your requests, allows you to securely upload scans for additional documents that your request might need, etc.
- arccy 10mo ago
  until your gov decides that websites need to age-check everyone with the equivalent of showing some ID...
  - mindslight 10mo ago
    Or corpos decide the time is ripe to force users to do it, so they can better optimize their surveillance targeting. Google has been nagging me with a periodic Android popup for like a decade to "add my birthday to help them comply with the law". Eventually that tack of borderline misleading will turn into an outright demand.
    - mariusor 10mo ago
      In the end we all are allowed to just not use a product... aren't we? Vote with your wallet is still possible.
      - mindslight 10mo ago
        No? A few percent of people dissenting doesn't move the needle for the company analysts, all the "competitors" tend to move in lock step since their managements are all tuned into the same memestream, and using such systems has steadily become more de facto mandatory for many previously-unrelated tasks.
        mariusor 10mo ago

jeroenhd 10mo ago

There are plenty of websites and services already where you need to prove your identity to use them. The digital credentials API is an attempt to standardise that which is already legally required in the US, the UK, Australia, and the EU, except without having to upload a picture of your ID to a shady third party website.

quantummagic 10mo ago
I've never had to upload my government ID to any site; and none of my family have either. It's beyond naive to think that enshrining such a protocol won't lead to more widespread adoption, and even legislation requiring it. It's infrastructure that is quietly being built first, and enthusiastic authoritarian governments will eagerly embrace it.
- raw_anon_1111 10mo ago
  As an American citizen, I had to upload my passport to get an ETA before flying into the UK this year. https://www.gov.uk/eta https://www.gov.uk/eta I also uploaded my passport to Delta to make traveling to both Costa Rica and London faster this year. https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-planning-center/know-before-you-go/get-to-know-flyready https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-planning-center/know-befo...
realusername 10mo ago
Have you read their document? They require Google Wallet with the Google Play Services to prove your id on your desktop computer, it's absolute insanity. No thanks. I've never seen a legitimate use case where I need to prove my identity to use a website anyways.
pjc50 10mo ago
The UK law is age verification not identity verification. Now, everyone in practice has collapsed that distinction, whether from incompetence or malice..
- elzbardico 10mo ago
  Age verification inevitably turns into identity verification. And this is by design. Age verification obviously is the excuse to implement identity verification.

mariusor 10mo ago

It's likely that the websites need your actual government issued credentials are not your twitters and your hacker news, but government websites that actually need to link the web user to the citizen. As an example my country has a portal that you use as a citizen to book appointments to government institutions, keeps you updated about the status of your requests, allows you to securely upload scans for additional documents that your request might need, etc.

arccy 10mo ago
until your gov decides that websites need to age-check everyone with the equivalent of showing some ID...
- mindslight 10mo ago
  Or corpos decide the time is ripe to force users to do it, so they can better optimize their surveillance targeting. Google has been nagging me with a periodic Android popup for like a decade to "add my birthday to help them comply with the law". Eventually that tack of borderline misleading will turn into an outright demand.
  - mariusor 10mo ago
    In the end we all are allowed to just not use a product... aren't we? Vote with your wallet is still possible.
    - mindslight 10mo ago
      No? A few percent of people dissenting doesn't move the needle for the company analysts, all the "competitors" tend to move in lock step since their managements are all tuned into the same memestream, and using such systems has steadily become more de facto mandatory for many previously-unrelated tasks.
      - mariusor 10mo ago