Why Apple and Google want your ID

Apple and Google would like to see your identification, please.

With the former’s “Digital ID” launch last week, both companies now let you scan a digital version of your passport at more than 250 Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, using an iPhone or Android phone. A growing number of U.S. states already support digital driver’s licenses for the same purpose.

But the push for these digital IDs isn’t merely about airport security (which still requires you to carry a physical license or passport anyway).