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.
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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."
Top Rated Comments
(View all)For gods sake, its a **** app, who cares?
It is front page news because it effects not only this one gag app, but it can effect any app out there. All it needs is a stupid senator claiming it is something potentially illegal without understanding anything (like it this case that this absolutely can't be used to create real looking fake ID's) and Apple being too careful and removing it based on unfounded accusations from stupid senators ...Front page news? I think not.
What is next? Banning Photoshop from all computers? (Photoshop is a by far better tool to create fake licenses)
The app maker is right here.
The app allows you to share (e-mail) the ID around, which in turn means you can print them, which in-turn (the claim states) that the printed version could be a risk to national security. Make more sense now?
Low quality prints shouldn't trick anyone - if it does and really effects our national security, than this country has a bigger problem than this app
.. and again: You can get better results by just using Photoshop.
Senator Casey clearly has too much time on his hands. :D