A bill was passed by the Utah House that allows Utahns to use digital identification instead of hard copies of their IDs. The bill guarantees a digital identity bill of rights.
“It guarantees the right to use a physical ID instead of digital, the right not to be compelled to use digital ID, the right to selective disclosure of identity attributes, the right to be free from surveillance, tracking and profiling, and the right to transparency and how the system operates,” the sponsor of the bill, Sen. Kirk Cullimore, said.
The state would support the protection of a user’s identity and the federal government would not have access to the individual’s information.
“The individual controls their identity, the state’s role is only to endorse it and to ensure the individual has mechanisms to protect it,” Utah Office of Data Privacy Director Christopher Bramwell told the committee. The push for the state to adapt to the digital world comes in light of the upcoming 2034 Winter Olympics.
Cullimore also said that the individual would own all of their data, and what comes out.
“It’s about keeping government in its proper place, and that is to maintain our civil liberties and prevent government encroachment.”
Author: Lainey Porter
Photo courtesy of Jenny Kane, AP News
Editor: Hannah Clove
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