This is a call to enhance Login.gov’s identity abilities, and US government citizen identity management in general. Login.gov (and perhaps USPS for in person proofing) should be funded to do this, not ID.me. Higher level, this is about building strong public goods and defending them.

As another poster mentioned, the problem is that both progressive and conservative constituencies are strongly against meaningful national identity for different reasons, some of which are insane.

It’s a policy problem that won’t be solved in our lifetime. Our best bet long term is for states to issue mobile credentials, but even that is problematic because it will disenfranchise people.

I 100% agree. Problem is, the federal government (and the state governments and to a large extent big chunks of the citizenry) are fundamentally opposed to the issuance of a non-passport general citizen's ID and/or number. Those opposed to it don't have any good solution to "how to protect information the government keeps about you" either, so it's no good asking them.

Devising an actual public system for identity verification when you're being told the government cannot identify people is ... challenging.

I wonder if this mightn't change with states increasingly requiring voter ID.

After all, it'd be pretty dumb to on one hand mandate that every voter have government-issued ID, and on the other to oppose it.

It's not dumb, it's just evil.

Private companies have been part of the government discharging its responsibilities since first days of the Republic. You'd probably be shocked when you learn who does credit monitoring after government servers get hacked, by the way.

By your logic the government couldn't use cloud computing (run by a private company), couldn't use computer hardware even if they wanted to run a private cloud (hardware is built by private companies).

In all reality, this is fine. I have no particular problem with using facial recognition, but I want it regulated and I want recourse.

Fine, outsource it to ID.me. But the terms of service better be a page, maximum, and include the ability for me to appeal a decision that says I am not who I say I am and to use other forms of validation that may be slower or more procedural (such as presenting myself to a Post Office). I want no binding arbitration clause in the agreement, and if that means the Federal government has to indemnify ID.me, then so be it. I want it in the TOS that the data ID.me uses for this will be segregated and kept for a very limited time and that I have the right to review and correct it.

Use the third party for what they are good for but enforce suitable rights for the rest. This is doable, it just wasn't fully done here.

I should not under any circumstances need to enter into a direct agreement with a private entity like id.me in order to access public services. The government might reasonably subcontract out some of the work, but public services need public accountability. The government service itself needs to be the direct counterparty to the public.

Just wanted to point out that there are lots and lots of federal IDs that are not military, immigration, or passports.