Developer of Fake Driver's License App Responds to Apple
Yesterday, we reported on Apple's removal of a free iOS app from DriversEd.com that allowed users to create fake driver's licenses on their devices. While the app was positioned as a joke app that would allow users to add funny content to licenses and share them with friends, it attracted the concern of U.S. Senator Bob Casey, who sent a letter to Apple suggesting that the app could be used to support identity theft and underage alcohol and tobacco purchases, as well as compromise national security.
DriversEd.com got in touch with MacRumors about the situation, sharing that Apple did not contact the company until several hours after pulling the app from the App Store. In its communication, Apple simply cited without clarification Section 22.1 of the App Store Review Guidelines:
Apps must comply with all legal requirements in any location where they are made available to users. It is the developer's obligation to understand and conform to all local laws.
In a press release (PDF) response and an associated FAQ (PDF), DriversEd.com lays out the numerous ways in which the gag licenses produced by the app could not possibly used to generate legitimate-looking fake IDs. Among the most important characteristics are slight differences in layouts, fonts and colors, multiple mentions of the license being a "mock" from DriversEd.com, and a resolution of just 72 DPI.
DriversEd.com specifically and deliberately designed the app to prevent the creation of counterfeit identification. “By design, it would take more effort and expertise to modify the product of the DriversEd.com ‘Driver License’ app than to construct a counterfeit from scratch,” says Founder and Chief Operating Officer Gary Tsifrin.
Tsifrin goes on to note that it strongly supports Senator Casey's goal of secure identification but that the company's free license app could not possibly threaten that aim. Says Tsifirn, "We hope that in light of these facts Apple will take one more look at the DriversEd.com ‘Driver License’ app."
Popular Stories
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
We've known for quite some time about Apple's plans for a thinner "iPhone 17 Air" coming later this year, but wow, the latest dummy models give us our best look yet at just how thin this phone is going to be.
Other Apple news and rumors this week included another iOS 18.5 beta, the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, and more management reshuffling in Apple's Siri division, so read...
