In the US, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will this summer launch a feature allowing digital access for the key identification format, the Social Security number.
This will be happening via online accounts dubbed, “My Social Security” and the digital card. This is considered by some observers as “the first step” toward the digital ID – or, by those opposed to such massive centralization of personal data, as the first step on a slippery slope.
SSA is promoting the move as a modernization of the service, with the word “convenience” inevitably used to justify the change – “streamlining” employment verification and financial onboarding processes, and access to government services listed in this context.
Other than significantly upping the game as far as future mass surveillance goes, digital ID is consistently drawing criticism for security reasons, namely, for assembling a large amount of the most sensitive personal information in a single place.
And so, possibly hoping to nip those concerns in the bud, SSA made sure to stress that in addition to “convenience” people in the US with Social Security numbers (replacing forgotten ones, as well as lost cards) – can also allegedly expect better “security.”
To drive this point home, SSA said it is working with “leading identity verification providers,” in particular to ensure against cyber attacks on the core tech – authentication protocols. Another argument in favor of the digital approach is that the risk of documents getting lost or stolen is – “reduced.”
The digital SSN and card will be used as proof of identity also “for reasons other than handling Social Security matters,” SSA announced.
These statements are in line with SSA’s previous policy, described in some reports as a shift “toward secure, digital-first service delivery” – the requirement of Login.gov authentication for users online being mentioned as one example of the trend.
For now, at least, the digital SSN card will not replace physical ones.
SSA’s announcement is reported as following “global” trends, with countries like Germany singled out as examples.
Some of the concerns regarding this development coming from the “cautiously optimistic” corner have to do with reduced accessibility for the elderly and the disabled.
And according to the National Cybersecurity Alliance’s Cliff Steinhauerthinks, “There’s going to be a future where there’s a clean internet, where everyone that uses it has authenticated with this federated, proven identity so that nobody can pretend to be anybody else.”