Equity in Civic Technology, Privacy & Data
Digital Identity Verification: Best Practices for Public Agencies
One of the cornerstones of government service is identity verification, or the process of validating an applicant’s claim that they are who they say they are. Traditionally, identity verification has required the physical presence of the individual whose identity needed to be verified.
Digital verification, by contrast, occurs partially or fully over the internet. Digital identity verification offers several potential advantages over traditional verification, but these benefits can only be achieved if issues related to privacy and ethical data use are also addressed. This guidance surveys the challenges facing government agencies who want to digitally verify identities as part of improving service delivery, and provides recommendations about how to address those challenges.
Specifically, the report offers five recommendations to officials on how to streamline the provision of services via digitally verifying identities:
- Minimize fraud with techniques from cybersecurity;
- Provide non-digital alternatives;
- Implement privacy-forward data governance policies and practices;
- Plan and test systems with equity in mind; and
- Develop clear standards, requirements, and processes for procuring and auditing third-party systems used in identity verification.
Adopting these measures can reduce the likelihood of fraud and discrimination in the provision of services, as well as uphold the right to privacy for individuals relying on this assistance. Ultimately, adopting one or a combination of these techniques can help repair the relationship between government and citizens.
