On Tuesday, Google announced that digital IDs are now available in more countries and services in Google Wallet. The company also announced that Wallet is now offering private age verification and that the app is expanding to 50 more countries.
Residents of Arkansas, Montana, Puerto Rico, and West Virginia will soon be able to store their digital IDs issued by the US government in Google Wallet. In addition, residents of Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, and New Mexico will be able to use their mobile IDs at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
As the REAL ID deadline of May 7, 2025 approaches, Google notes that you can use an ID pass created from your U.S. passport to go through TSA security for domestic travel at supported airports, even if you don’t have a driver’s license or government-issued ID. However, the ID pass is not a substitute for a physical ID, so you should still carry it with you.
Soon, users will also be able to use their digital IDs to restore Amazon accounts, access CVS and Epic’s MyChart online healthcare services, verify profiles on platforms like Uber, and more.
In addition, Google enables UK residents to create digital IDs with their UK passports and store them securely in Google Wallet.
Since verification is required on many websites and services, Google says it wanted to create a verification system that not only confirms users’ ages but also protects their privacy throughout the process. To accomplish this, Google is integrating Zero Proofing (ZKP) technology into Google Wallet.
This integration will allow Google to provide fast age verification on mobile devices, apps, and websites that use the digital ID API. The company will use ZKP in other Google products and partner with apps such as Bumble, which will use digital identifiers from Google Wallet to verify a user’s identity and ZKP to verify age. Google will also open source its ZKP technology to other wallets and online services.
As for the expansion of Wallet to 50 more countries, Google did not provide a list of specific countries. TechCrunch has reached out to the company to learn more.
