The Electronic Privacy Information Center is warning that stolen driver’s license images should be treated differently from other leaked data. In comments to WBUR, EPIC’s Butler argued that breaches exposing identity documents with forensic-level detail are fundamentally unlike the routine credential leaks that dominate headlines.
Butler said the major risk is new account fraud. A license’s photo and embedded security features give criminals material that can be used to open accounts in someone else’s name, rather than simply accessing accounts that already exist.
Because this is a single source, there are no conflicting views to reconcile. The interview does not lay out specific legislative fixes, but it underscores the heightened stakes for state agencies that hold driver’s license data.