In one of our latest podcast episodes, we were joined by Rob White, Head of Identity Services at Samsung Wallet, for an in-depth conversation about the future of mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) and digital identity.
With decades of experience in mobile wallets and payments, Rob shared Samsung’s vision for making identity more secure, convenient, and privacy-preserving. From user trust and interoperability to commercial use cases and government partnerships, the conversation covered the key hurdles and opportunities shaping the next phase of digital identity in the U.S.
Below are the key insights and takeaways from the session.
Samsung's Vision for Digital Identity
- Core Objective
- Make it easy and convenient for users to securely assert their identity.
- Help users protect data privacy while reducing fraud for relying parties (governments, businesses).
- Samsung Wallet Strategy
- Replace the physical wallet: payments, loyalty cards, tickets, keys, IDs, and more.
- Leverage device hardware for security and UX:
- Embedded Secure Element for cryptographic protection.
- Biometric verification.
- Smart features like swipe-up access and wearables integration.
- Importance of mDLs
- Not just digitizing plastic licenses, but enabling safer, easier, and privacy-preserving identity sharing.
- mDLs represent the most important type of content recently added to the wallet.
Security & Privacy by Design
- User Trust Concerns
- Many users are hesitant to load ID into a phone due to privacy fears.
- Education is needed to explain protections (e.g., local processing, no “phoning home”).
- Samsung’s Security Layers
- Biometric required for credential presentation.
- ID tied to one biometric. Others can’t share the same credential even if they access the phone.
- Remote wipe, secure storage, and consent screens built-in.
Adoption Challenges for mDLs
- Key Obstacles
- Human behavior: changing habits is hard (lesson from mobile payments).
- Issuer-verifier chicken-and-egg dilemma.
- States are slow to issue without demand.
- Relying parties are slow to adopt without users.
- Law enforcement still lacks tools or processes to accept mDLs.
- Education about privacy and use cases is difficult at scale.
- Progress to Date
- Live in 6 states.
- Actively onboarding relying parties.
Ecosystem Collaboration and Partnerships
- Crucial Partnerships
- State DMVs: foundational issuers.
- KYC providers: critical for bringing mDLs to high-trust online processes.
- Commercial giants like Amazon: can create real-world traction by accepting mDLs for account recovery and verification.
- Who Samsung Wants to Work With
- Standards-adherent partners.
- Early adopters willing to explore integrations and user experience improvements.
- Companies able to build and test practical mDL use cases.
Use Cases Driving Adoption
- Government
- Airport security (TSA), benefits distribution, DMV check-ins.
- Commercial
- Age-restricted purchases (e.g., alcohol).
- KYC for onboarding and high-value transactions.
- Retail scenarios.
- Habit-Changing Scenarios
- Everyday, high-frequency situations are more likely to trigger widespread adoption than rare or formal interactions.
Differentiation of Samsung Wallet
- Device Integration
- Optimized for Galaxy hardware and wearables (e.g., Galaxy Watch tap-to-ID).
- Battery reserve mode for emergency access even when the phone dies.
- Platform Thinking
- Plans to integrate ID into TVs, appliances, IoT. Thinking beyond the phone.
- Wallet as a Container
- Holds many types of credentials beyond mDLs: student IDs, access badges, digital keys.
- Open to adding credentials from third-party identity providers.
Interoperability and Standards
- Built-in from the Start
- Strict adherence to ISO 18013-5/7 standards.
- Actively attending and participating in interoperability testing events.
- Must Work Cross-State and Cross-Wallet
- Users expect digital IDs to be as universally accepted as physical ones.
- Global interoperability is a long-term goal.
What’s Next for Samsung Wallet and mDLs
- Success Metrics (Next 1–2 Years)
- Increase the number of issuing states.
- See meaningful habit-changing use cases adopted at scale.
- Expand credential types beyond just driver’s licenses.
- Next-Phase Innovations
- Support for online verification workflows.
- Deeper integration with digital identity use cases (e.g., age verification for apps).
- Long-term exploration of ID + payments + insurance submission in a single action.
