Identity
DHS proposes biometrics expansion for immigrants, dropping age restrictions and requiring biometrics from some US citizens
A new DHS regulatory proposal would allow CBP and ICE to collect biometrics from children under the age of 14.
CBP expands facial recognition for non-citizens at borders
U.S. citizens can opt out of the facial recognition process, which CBP intends to expand to all air, sea and land ports.
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Labor Department looks to pilot intaking unemployment claims for states
The effort follows the department’s notice that it may create a national claims database, a move critics say raises cybersecurity, privacy and surveillance risks.
US needs an agency to call ‘balls and strikes’ on digital IDs, lawmaker says
Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., said Congress needs to create a federal body capable of auditing identity verification technologies to lay the groundwork for a broad embrace of digital IDs.
Login.gov to add passports as identity proofing option
Trump appointees have called the in-house service a priority for anti-fraud efforts.
SSA said it removed strict ID requirements on its phone line, but internal policy says otherwise
The agency said in a recent regulatory filing that the identification pin had been made optional for those wishing to change direct deposit information over the phone. Internal policy says they’re still required.
NIST releases final digital identity guidelines after years of drafts
The new guidelines remove mentions of equity that NIST had included in previous draft updates.
Social Security plans new restrictions for its phone line, citing fraud
New identity proofing requirements for certain transactions, like changing an address, could especially impact people in rural areas, with transportation difficulties and with limited technology know-how.
Government is making moves on mobile drivers licenses, GSA administrator says
Login.gov is planning on adding mDLs by March of next year.
IRS isn’t sufficiently checking the performance of its identity proofing vendor
The identity validation service, ID.me, is the only option for taxpayers looking to access the more sensitive online services offered by the IRS.
Trump guts Biden-era digital identity policies, citing false claims about immigrants
The rollback of policies that were intended to help counter fraud comes even as the Trump administration says that fighting fraud is a top priority.
DOGE allies want more online identity verification despite its mixed efficacy
New testing at DHS shows a wide range in the performance of online identity proofing systems. Some simply don’t work well.
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SSA head’s 3-month plan touts workforce reductions while calling for identity and AI investment
The acting commissioner at SSA said that he has “made some mistakes” and promised to learn from them in an email to staff Tuesday.
Login.gov is key to administration anti-fraud efforts, GSA official says
Early in the administration, some in Trump’s orbit had called for the single-sign on and identity proofing service to be gutted.
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Coming cyber executive order includes a push to mobile drivers licenses
The draft order does not, however, tackle the full breadth of actions that were expected from a promised identity executive order that has yet to materialize.
Unemployment isn’t recession-ready — but it’s getting better, says acting Labor secretary
Julie Su, the acting Department of Labor secretary, has often been scrutinized for her role in California during the pandemic. She sat down with Nextgov/FCW to talk about unemployment four years later.
TSA to allow mobile driver’s licenses after REAL ID goes into effect
The final rule will allow states that have issued mobile driver’s licenses to apply for TSA-issued waivers of certain REAL ID requirements.
Why governments are ‘particularly well-positioned’ to offer identity validation
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, governments that use its guidance to offer attribute validation services may have to rely less often on commercial data for identity.
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GSA's identity service on track to meet key standards, program director says
The director of Login.gov says that the federally managed identity service is on track to finally meet an important standard for digital identity verification.
Lawmakers want government to promote use of digital IDs
Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., told Nextgov/FCW that he’s hoping to get his Improving Digital Identity Act included in the House AI Task Force’s list of recommended policy proposals.
