At the request of U.S. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Apple has pulled an app from the App Store that allowed you to create fake driver’s licenses. The app in question, Drivers License by DriversEd.com, allows you mess around with the driver’s licenses from any of the 50 U.S. states, plugging in goofy photos and raunchy names. Once created, the licenses can be emailed or shared on Facebook. While the app clearly means this to be harmless fun, Senator Casey had concerns about the potential mischief that could be created with the app.
In his letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Casey states:
By downloading “License”, anyone with an iPhone or iPad can easily manufacture a fake driver’s license by taking a photo and inserting it into one of fifty state driver’s licenses’ templates. Users then have a high quality image resembling an actual driver’s license which they can easily print, laminate, and use for any number of illegal and fraudulent activities. While DriversEd.com markets the app as a fun game, it can also be used in a way that allows criminals to create a new identity, steal someone else’s identity, or permit underage youth to purchase alcohol or tobacco illegally. National security systems depend on the trustworthiness of driver’s licenses, yet with a counterfeit license created by this app, a terrorist could bypass identity verification by the Transportation Security Administration, or even apply for a passport.
Back in April, the Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License sent a similar request to Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President of iPhone Software at Apple, with little apparent success. However, Senator Casey’s request was met with immediate action.
Source: senate.gov
