Digital Identity philosophy

This section focuses on a topic that is often misunderstood: how we use technology to verify our identity when accessing state services. Whether you are applying for benefits, verifying your age for certain websites, or eventually casting a ballot, the way we verify identity is changing.

I believe Georgia should lead the way in Privacy-First Identity Verification, ensuring that your data belongs to you, not a government database or a third-party corporation. By mandating our tech companies and government to comply to the use of “Zero Knowledge Proofs” we can make it possible for you to verify your information without releasing that information into their fragile databases.

Questions you may have:

"What exactly is 'Device-Based Identity'?"

Think of it like a digital version of your driver’s license that lives securely on your smartphone. Instead of sending a scan of your ID over the internet—where it can be stolen or sold—your device sends a cryptographic signal that simply says "Yes, this person is who they say they are." It’s the same technology that allows you to pay for groceries with your phone without the store ever seeing your actual credit card number.

"Is this just a way for the government to track my every move?"

I asked myself this because I refuse to support anything that turns our phones into "pocket surveillance devices." That’s why I am fighting for Privacy by Design. My proposal mandates that the state can only use "Zero-Knowledge Proofs." This means your phone can prove you are over 18 or a resident of Cherokee County without revealing your name, address, or any other data you haven't explicitly chosen to share.

"What happens to the people who don’t have a smartphone?"

This is a vital question for our rural communities. We cannot build a "digital-only" Georgia that leaves our seniors or low-income neighbors behind. My plan requires a Physical Backup Standard. Every digital service must remain accessible through a physical ID at a local government office or a USPS location. Technology should be an option for convenience, not a requirement for citizenship.

"How does this stop AI-driven fraud and deepfakes?"

As AI becomes more advanced, "showing your face" on a webcam isn't enough to prove you’re real. Deepfakes are becoming a major threat to our benefits systems. Device-based verification utilizes Hardware Attestation, which confirms that the verification is occurring on a physical, secure chip inside your phone that cannot be "faked" by a computer program. It is the most stubborn defense we have against high-tech identity theft.

"Will this make voting more secure or less secure?"

I believe that in the long run, this makes our systems more secure. By using the same "multi-factor" security that banks use, we can ensure that a voter's identity is verified with nearly 100% accuracy before a ballot is ever issued. This protects the integrity of the vote while making the process more convenient for military members overseas and Georgians with disabilities.