Login.gov will begin deploying facial recognition technology next year as a way for people to verify their identities and securely access vital government benefits and services, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced Wednesday.
GSA said the digital identity verification option will leverage proven facial matching technology to verify that the user matches their identification without needing to talk to an identity verification professional in person or virtually.
The agency’s Oct. 18 blog post touted that the new tool will use “convenient, cutting-edge technology, while ensuring their data remains safe” to “provide an even stronger identity verification solution to protect against increasingly sophisticated identity fraud and cyberattacks.”
The facial recognition tool will identify users through a “privacy-preserving matching approach that compares ‘selfies’ exclusively with the user’s photo ID – and does not use the image for any other purpose,” the agency said.
GSA promised to continue to gather evidence to help evaluate the effectiveness of the Login.gov product across demographic groups while also monitoring for any algorithmic bias in identity verification. The agency also clarified that user data will never be used for any purpose unrelated to verifying an identity by Login.gov or any vendors they contract with.
GSA also announced two additional paths that will be available in 2024 to verify identity via Login.gov: an in-person identity verification option at a local Post Office and a digital identity verification option that does not require automated facial matching, such as a live video chat.
These pathways build on top of Login.gov’s existing identity verification process, GSA said, which requires validation of a government-issued ID and a phone number or address.
The announcement of the three new pathways the agency will deploy in 2024 comes during a time when GSA is pushing to bring the service in line with government digital identity standards established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. GSA’s Inspector General lambasted officials for misleading other Federal agencies using the service about its level of compliance in a report earlier this year.
GSA announced before the end of fiscal year 2023 on Sept. 30 that Login.gov has reached 38.8 million active users, including 42 Federal partner agencies. All Cabinet agencies are also using Login.gov for at least one program or application.
“Providing those interacting with their own government with a way to verify their digital identity that protects their security and privacy while also ensuring equity and access is more important than ever,” GSA wrote. “Login.gov will offer agencies a range of options that meet their needs and … ensure that the public has the secure and seamless access to government services that they deserve.”
