General Services Administration’s Login.gov pilots enhanced identity verification, expands in-person proofing, updates pricing model

April 11, 2024

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. General Service Administration’s (GSA) Technology Transformation Services announced major milestones for Login.gov, the single-sign-on platform that millions of families, veterans, and others use to easily and securely access government benefits and services online. These efforts reflect significant progress made by Login.gov towards plans laid out last fall to bolster Login.gov’s already strong anti-fraud capabilities and provide an even more robust and equitable identity verification offering to protect against increasingly sophisticated identity fraud and cyber attacks. 

Specifically, over the next few months, Login.gov will:

• Pilot facial matching technology consistent with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Digital Identity Guidelines (800-63-3) to achieve evidence-based remote identity verification at the IAL2 level.
• Provide users with a visible, upfront option to verify their identity in-person at one of more than 18,000 local U.S. Postal Service locations (without the use of facial matching technology).
• Roll out a new pricing model for agency partners.

Using proven facial matching technology, Login.gov’s pilot will allow users to match a live selfie with the photo on a self-supplied form of photo ID, such as a driver’s license. Login.gov will not allow these images to be used for any purpose other than verifying identity, an approach which reflects Login.gov’s longstanding commitment to ensuring the privacy of its users. This pilot is slated to start in May with a handful of existing agency-partners who have expressed interest, with the pilot expanding to additional partners over the summer. GSA will simultaneously seek an independent third party assessment (Kantara) of IAL2 compliance, which GSA expects will be completed later this year. 

“We look forward to soon launching this new identity verification pathway for our agency customers that will protect user data, prevent fraud, and align with IAL2 guidelines – all while doubling down on our strong commitment to privacy, accessibility, and security,” said Ann Lewis, Director of the Technology Transformation Services. “This will be a key step in helping federal and state agencies who require an IAL2-compliant solution to more easily deliver benefits to millions of Americans in a secure, seamless, and timely way.”

In the coming weeks, Login.gov will expand in-person identity verification to be a visible, upfront option across nearly all partners for Login.gov users. This option leverages a partnership with over 18,000 participating U.S. Postal Service retail locations (over 99% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a post office). This will help ensure that more users can take advantage of this convenient in-person pathway.

“These announcements reflect how, over the past year, our team has collected input and feedback from many agency partners and stakeholders,” said Dan Lopez, Login.gov Director. “We are pleased to be building a product that attracts and empowers both our partners and their users who increasingly demand a single sign-on service to access their services and benefits.”

As another result of stakeholder conversations, Login.gov recently informed agency customers of a new pricing model - slated to begin July 1 - that aims to help agencies of all sizes more affordably use and expand use of Login.gov. The pricing model is based on extensive forecasting that helps ground Login.gov’s future in a long-term, sustainable financial model. 

In recent years, Login.gov has grown to serve over 40 federal and state agencies. As a result, Login.gov active users reached a record of over 49 million active users in FY 2023. 

###

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $100 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow @USGSA.