5 ms·

login.gov is amazing software. Highly tested. Expertly implemented. It might be the most tested IdP available today.

by jf 2y ago

jeffrallen 2y ago
Then why did it send me to id.me to send my photo ID to some low cost outsourcer?
- ceejayoz 2y ago
  Because someone lobbied their bosses.
  - emchammer 2y ago
    I would rather show up at the local post office in order to verify my identity. Such a matter common in another country where I have lived.
    - eadler 2y ago
      This is starting to happen. I had to do this for NIH recently. Or it would be happening absent the recent chaos.
    - threeseed 2y ago
      I can't imagine many people agreeing with you here. You need to be (a) able to walk and drive, (b) in driving distance to a post office and (c) able to work around the post office's opening hours and (d) willing to waste the time to drive/line up etc. Or you can spend less than a minute to upload a photo of your passport.
      - ceejayoz 2y ago
        I think the objection is more that ID.me should be ID.gov.
      - amluto 2y ago
        Which is great until someone impersonates you by spoofing a photo of you that satisfies “liveness” detection. It’s a lot harder to AI up an animated image in person at a post office.
  - jf 2y ago
    This is exactly right. The capability to do identity proofing via the USPS is in the code and available on GitHub for you to browse.
- threeseed 2y ago
  id.me is valued at $1.8bn and has more than 130m users and has "partnerships with 15 federal agencies, 40 agencies in 30 states and over 600 retailers". Bit of a stretch to call them a low cost outsourcer. They seem pretty legitimate.
  - toomuchtodo 2y ago
    They are a private business in search of a problem that is unnecessary for federal and state agencies to rely on for idp and identity proofing services.
    - threeseed 2y ago
      Pretty hilarious to think that a $1.8bn business is "searching for a problem". And given the frosty working relationship between federal and state agencies I am sympathetic to the idea that a private company would be able to deliver a better solution.
      - toomuchtodo 2y ago
        Login.gov is the default idp for the Social Security Administration, supports 200+ federal agencies for identity, and IRS was in the works to onboard Login.gov before this new admin fuckery occurred. They handle over 10 million monthly active users and 40 million monthly sign-ins across nearly 50 agencies and states. Will it still happen? Who knows. id.me will likely IPO based off the ~$130-$150M ARR they have, some folks will get wealthy, and it'll still end up the equivalent of confirming your discount eligibility at Home Depot for veterans.
      - gorgoiler 2y ago
        There’s a bigger story to tell than just a number. Is that $1.8B of revenue? Of profit? $1.8B of total funding in the last six months? In the last ten years? Here’s $100M of funding for a 6% stake, four years ago: https://siliconangle.com/2021/03/22/digital-identity-network-startup-id-raises-100m-unicorn-valuation-1-5b/ https://siliconangle.com/2021/03/22/digital-identity-network... Last year: a liquidity event for early investors and employees, none of which helps the ongoing business but instead lets the founders and C-suite buy a private island / holiday home / mobile home / home: https://thepaypers.com/digital-identity-security-online-fraud/idmes-valuation-increases-to-usd-18-billion-after-tender-offer--1271155 https://thepaypers.com/digital-identity-security-online-frau... A $275M loan — not an investment, though you get a good deal if they default! — to keep them afloat?: https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/idme-secures-275-million-credit-facility-from-ares-management-funds-93CH-3840926 https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/idme-secure... The only rung deeper into the hype pit would be valuing them as a unicorn based on a too-big-to-fail government bailout.

by jf 2y ago

jeffrallen 2y ago

Then why did it send me to id.me to send my photo ID to some low cost outsourcer?

ceejayoz 2y ago
Because someone lobbied their bosses.
- emchammer 2y ago
  I would rather show up at the local post office in order to verify my identity. Such a matter common in another country where I have lived.
  - eadler 2y ago
    This is starting to happen. I had to do this for NIH recently. Or it would be happening absent the recent chaos.
  - threeseed 2y ago
    I can't imagine many people agreeing with you here. You need to be (a) able to walk and drive, (b) in driving distance to a post office and (c) able to work around the post office's opening hours and (d) willing to waste the time to drive/line up etc. Or you can spend less than a minute to upload a photo of your passport.
    - ceejayoz 2y ago
      I think the objection is more that ID.me should be ID.gov.
    - amluto 2y ago
      Which is great until someone impersonates you by spoofing a photo of you that satisfies “liveness” detection. It’s a lot harder to AI up an animated image in person at a post office.
- jf 2y ago
  This is exactly right. The capability to do identity proofing via the USPS is in the code and available on GitHub for you to browse.
threeseed 2y ago
id.me is valued at $1.8bn and has more than 130m users and has "partnerships with 15 federal agencies, 40 agencies in 30 states and over 600 retailers". Bit of a stretch to call them a low cost outsourcer. They seem pretty legitimate.
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  They are a private business in search of a problem that is unnecessary for federal and state agencies to rely on for idp and identity proofing services.
  - threeseed 2y ago
    Pretty hilarious to think that a $1.8bn business is "searching for a problem". And given the frosty working relationship between federal and state agencies I am sympathetic to the idea that a private company would be able to deliver a better solution.
    - toomuchtodo 2y ago
      Login.gov is the default idp for the Social Security Administration, supports 200+ federal agencies for identity, and IRS was in the works to onboard Login.gov before this new admin fuckery occurred. They handle over 10 million monthly active users and 40 million monthly sign-ins across nearly 50 agencies and states. Will it still happen? Who knows. id.me will likely IPO based off the ~$130-$150M ARR they have, some folks will get wealthy, and it'll still end up the equivalent of confirming your discount eligibility at Home Depot for veterans.
    - gorgoiler 2y ago
      There’s a bigger story to tell than just a number. Is that $1.8B of revenue? Of profit? $1.8B of total funding in the last six months? In the last ten years? Here’s $100M of funding for a 6% stake, four years ago: https://siliconangle.com/2021/03/22/digital-identity-network-startup-id-raises-100m-unicorn-valuation-1-5b/ https://siliconangle.com/2021/03/22/digital-identity-network... Last year: a liquidity event for early investors and employees, none of which helps the ongoing business but instead lets the founders and C-suite buy a private island / holiday home / mobile home / home: https://thepaypers.com/digital-identity-security-online-fraud/idmes-valuation-increases-to-usd-18-billion-after-tender-offer--1271155 https://thepaypers.com/digital-identity-security-online-frau... A $275M loan — not an investment, though you get a good deal if they default! — to keep them afloat?: https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/idme-secures-275-million-credit-facility-from-ares-management-funds-93CH-3840926 https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/idme-secure... The only rung deeper into the hype pit would be valuing them as a unicorn based on a too-big-to-fail government bailout.