Comment by jbjbjbjb
1 day ago
I think you misunderstood how the digital credentials api works. It keeps it in your phone’s secure element and lets you share just a “yes/no” proof like “over 18” without revealing anything else. It’s basically the cryptographically secure version of the isAdult bit you’re describing. It also has trust by cryptographically signing the proof and it can handle different jurisdictions.
Not keeping the ID in a phone is better than keeping it in a "secure element" and having to upload it there using closed-sourced software with unclear functionality.
I’m not sure it has to keep the id on the device, it keeps the signed digital credentials not the original id document. The government would sign the “facts” like isAdult etc and they currently issue and sign all current ids anyway.