Florida Digital Driver’s Licenses – Could this be a good thing for us?
Yesterday, Governor DeSantis signed HB 1313 into law. This bill brings Florida up to date with modern technology by establishing a “Digital proof of driver license“. The Digital proof of driver license is an electronic credential viewable on an electronic credentialing system. In other words, instead of having to show a plastic card, you will likely be able to show an image or display a barcode or QR code from a smartphone.
It makes sense… we have e-ticketing at airlines and concerts, we have mobile payment options at many retailers. Both make processing more efficient and mitigate fraud.
The first thing that comes to mind though, is how this will impact the branding on our driver’s license? Currently, those required to register have a prominent statute or the words “sexual predator” right there on the face of the ID. They claim that the brand is to help law enforcement quickly identify that the person is on the registry. The reality is, how often are we stopped by police, as opposed to having to show our license to buy a drink at a bar or cash a paycheck? Besides, law enforcement has access to the FCIC/NCIC system that would flag us anyhow, and generally people don’t stop to show their ID before sexually assaulting someone, so what’s the point?
If the digital license/ID shows only relevant information, this could be a good thing. Why does the bartender need to know if you’re an organ donor? Why does the bank teller need to know if you’re a safe driver? And why does the cashier at Walmart need to know you are a sex offender?
The bill (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1313/BillText/er/PDF) doesn’t get into what does and what does not get displayed on the digital drivers licenses, so we’ll have to wait and see. This can either be a good thing in the sense that we can now show ID to store clerks and bank tellers without having to shame ourselves, or we’ll just keep displaying our scarlet letters. We’ll wait and see.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Just like we can’t renew our licenses (must show up in person even thought in person registration went into effect and should have replaced this) or car registration online (must mail it instead. why?), registrants will likely be ineligible for this too.
Our QR code will most likely be intentionally made the color red.
What happens to elderly people or people like myself who are stuck in the 1970s and do not use a smart phone? They are trying to force everyone into the iluminati by having everything about your life stored in a data base.
They are pushing also with the digital wallets to do away with cash. They think this will stop illegal activies like drug deals. Even though they could just use the digital for the deal, law enforcement would be able to track those transactions easier.
But back to my question. Older people do not always adapt to these technologies. Heck I have a tv I still use that my grandparents had in the 1960s. Still works as good as the day it was built.
Our legislature will be dumb enough to view this as a sex offender loophole.
If that happens it’s another reason I’m grateful I moved out of Florida; however I’ll help anyway I can for people and their families currently in Florida with these insane laws. Even the people I’ve met who still live in Florida have said these laws are crazy. They’ve called and written their representatives making sure their voices are heard and they aren’t going away.
Digital ID will still be flagged for registry status. Places registrants take their children, and other businesses, will find those flags useful for public safety. Software developers will compete for contracts to provide the state with this useful public safety feature.
Right?
Or do we think the state will now cut registrants a break, just because ID’s are migrating to a new system?
DeSantis and our legislature understand that license branding is popular among those who care about child safety but who haven’t read the studies.
Maybe the agenda is to make it easier for a date to see if you won’t assault them. However what will happen if a person gets sexually assaulted and the person isn’t on the hit list? Makes my head spin by thinking what will they come up with next. Hopefully this isn’t what some might fear.