SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham’s legislation to formalize mobile IDs and protect personal devices has become law.
“More and more of our personal information is digitized and contained within our personal devices, which has made many of us hesitant to hand over an unlocked phone to anyone,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “No one should be required to hand over such a precious piece of personal privacy just to prove their identity.”
The law was an initiative of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and updates state law to align terminology and requirements related to mobile identification, ensuring clarity and consistency as digital ID technology becomes more widely used. In addition to formalizing mobile IDs, the law will prohibit any relying party, including law enforcement, from physically taking a person’s phone to verify a mobile ID. Making certain that individuals maintain control of their personal devices during the verification process.
“Handing your phone over, even to the police, risks exposing private pictures or intimate details of one's life, and people shouldn’t have to risk that level of exposure just to show identification,” said Cunningham. “With this law, we are ensuring that mobile IDs are used in a way that protects both privacy and security for people across our state.”
Senate Bill 3449 was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.
