---
date: 2020-01-11
title: United States Public Sector
description:
excerpt:
permalink: /government/usa/
canonical_url: 'https://decentralized-id.com/government/usa/'
categories: ["Government"]
tags: ["USA","New York","Austin","Illinois","Wyoming","Utah","FATF","IRS","FTC","Data Privacy","Web3","Digital Immigration Credentials","Verifiable Credentials"]
last_modified_at: 2023-06-06
---
* [USPTO: CIO Jamie Holcombe](https://www.spreaker.com/user/13158652/uspto-cio-jamie-holcombe) 2021-01-04
> CIO Jamie Holcombe says identity verification with blockchain might be in the future for USPTO and talks about navigating changes in policy & law when considering a distributed ledger to store patents & trademarks. Among the interesting questions: do we start with patent #1 (applicant: George Washington)?
* [Foster Introduces Bipartisan Digital Identity Legislation](https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases/foster-introduces-bipartisan-digital-identity-legislation) 2020-08-11
> - Establish a task force made up of key federal agencies and state representatives.
> - Direct NIST to create a new framework of standards to guide agencies in implementing identity systems.
> - Establish a grant program within the DHS to support states in upgrading.
## White House
* [The White House’s Future of the Internet is Available Today](https://indicio.tech/the-white-houses-future-of-the-internet-is-available-today/) 2022-04-29 Indicio Tech
> The Biden administration, in coordination with 60 other countries, on Thursday unveiled a “[Declaration for the Future of the Internet](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/28/fact-sheet-united-states-and-60-global-partners-launch-declaration-for-the-future-of-the-internet/)” that “reclaims the promise of the Internet in the face of the global opportunities and challenges presented by the 21st century.” 2022-04-28
* [A Collaborative Approach to Meeting the Challenges in President Biden’s Executive Order on Improving US Cybersecurity](https://www.oasis-open.org/2021/06/14/a-collaborative-approach-to-meeting-the-challenges-in-president-bidens-executive-order-on-improving-us-cybersecurity/) 2021-06-14
> One key aspect outlined in Section 4 of the Executive Order (EO) is securing the software supply chain. At issue here is the reality that the U.S. federal government—like nearly any other organization on the planet that uses computer technology in any form—relies on not just one but numerous types of software to process data and run operational equipment.
* [Recognizing Digital Identity as a National Issue](https://www.pingidentity.com/en/resources/blog/post/digital-identity-national-issue.html) 2021-06-14
> we dove into creating a centralized and holistic approach to protecting and regulating identity in the United States and the specifics of why digital identity and cybersecurity are national issues that the private sectors simply cannot tackle on their own. Here are some of the key takeaways.
* [Industry Implications of Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity](https://www.wileyconnect.com/Industry-Implications-of-EO-on-Improving-the-Nations-Cybersecurity) 2021-06-03
> President Biden’s recent issuance of the highly anticipated Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity (EO or Order), in the midst of high-profile cyber-attacks on the Nation, brought new challenges to organizations looking to secure their cyber defenses. In this multipart podcast series, Wiley's Government Contracts, Telecom, Media & Technology (TMT), and Privacy, Cyber & Data Governance attorneys provide a high-level overview of the Order.
* [Zero Trust Architecture in the White House Executive Order on Cybersecurity](https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-credentials/2021May/0062.html) 2021-05-14 Adrian Gropper
> Please read Section 3 in the EO
> […]
> It may be time for us to explain Zero-Trust Architecture relationship to VCs and DIDs. My not-so-hidden agenda includes priority for considering authorization and delegation in our protocol work but our diverse community of security experts will surely make this a much broader discussion.
* [Executive order on Improving the Nations Cybersecurity](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/12/executive-order-on-improving-the-nations-cybersecurity/) 2021-05-12
> Sec. 3. Modernizing Federal Government Cybersecurity.
>
> (a) To keep pace with today’s dynamic and increasingly sophisticated cyber threat environment, the Federal Government must take decisive steps to modernize its approach to cybersecurity, including by increasing the Federal Government’s visibility into threats, while protecting privacy and civil liberties. The Federal Government must adopt security best practices; advance toward Zero Trust Architecture; accelerate movement to secure cloud services, including Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS); centralize and streamline access to cybersecurity data to drive analytics for identifying and managing cybersecurity risks; and invest in both technology and personnel to match these modernization goals.
## Digital Immigration Credentials
* [Jeremy Grant @jgrantindc](https://twitter.com/jgrantindc/status/1567531428707024899) 2022-09-07
> USCIS make public announcement about their plants to use Verifiable Credentials for Immigration credentials
>
> Very interesting #FedID presentation on @USCIS plans for digital immigration credentials. Looking to use the @w3c Verifiable Credentials standard - this may be the first use of VCs at scale in the US government.
* [Great to see USCIS speaking publicly at the the #FedID Conference last week](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aniljohn_fedid-activity-6974431929118924800-oOu7?trk=public_profile_like_view) 2022-10
> (https://lnkd.in/eWSc3RYA) about how digital immigration credentials using W3C Verifiable Credentials and W3C Decentralized Identifiers are a critical part of their ongoing work on digitizing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration processes!
* [US Digital Immigration Credentials Overview](https://www.slideshare.net/aniltj/us-digital-immigration-credentials-overview) 2022-12-13
> USCIS Presentation at the 2022 Fed ID Conference on Using W3C VCs and W3C DIDs for Digital Immigration Credentials
## Personal Data Privacy
* [2 Signs the US is Getting Tougher on Data Privacy Regulation](https://anonyome.com/2022/09/2-signs-the-us-is-getting-tougher-on-data-privacy-regulation/) 2022-09 Anonyme
> I know almost everyone can probably find something that they wished were different in the bill [ADPPA]. On the other hand, I do think we have a band-aid for the American people who are just fed up with the lack of privacy online
* [What is the American Data Privacy and Protection Act?](https://identityreview.com/what-adppa-american-data-privacy-protection-act/) 2022-06-20 IdentityReview
> If a business has had an annual revenue less than “$41 million, did not collect or process the data of more than 100,000 individuals, and did not derive more than 50% of revenue from transferring personal information” in the last three years, they are not considered a covered entity in this bill.
* [A US National Privacy Law Looks More Likely Than Ever](https://anonyome.com/2021/04/a-us-national-privacy-law-looks-more-likely-than-ever/) 2021-04
- [Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act (COPRA)](https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/COPRA%20Bill%20Text.pdf) (Democrats)
> Sponsored in November 2019 by Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, this bill is [considered by some](https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/what-a-federal-data-privacy-law-would-mean-for-consumers/a/d-id/1340433) to be “GDPR-esque” and more consumer than business friendly.
- [Setting an American Framework to Ensure Data Access, Transparency and Accountable Ability Act (SAFE DATA Act)](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/BD190421-F67C-4E37-A25E-5D522B1053C7)) (GOP)
> Combining three previous bills, the SAFE DATA Act is [considered by some](https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/what-a-federal-data-privacy-law-would-mean-for-consumers/a/d-id/1340433) as more “business friendly”.
- [Information Transparency and Personal Data Control Act](https://delbene.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2740) –
> Re-introduced by Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) for the fourth time (the latest on March 10, 2021), [this bill](https://delbene.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2740) “… protects personal information including data relating to financial, health, genetic, biometric, geolocation, sexual orientation, citizenship and immigration status, Social Security Numbers, and religious beliefs. It also keeps information about children under 13 years of age safe. ”Beyond this it requires businesses to write their privacy policies in simple language.“
* [Self-sovereign identity in the context of data protection and privacy](https://yourstory.com/2020/11/self-sovereign-identity-context-data-protection-privacy) 2020-11 YourStory
SSI Explainer + Comparison with Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019.
> From a techno-legal perspective, data protection regimes like PDPB and GDPR regulate the processing of personal data—which has a broad and evolving definition. An authoritative [paper](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3515213) on the subject classifies SSI data components into four categories — DIDs, credentials, revocation of credentials and hashes (relating to the first three).
## FTC
* [FTC weighs new rules to protect Americans’ personal data](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/11/ftc-new-rules-personal-data-secuirty) 2022-08-11 Guardian
> The FTC is issuing an advanced notice of proposed rule-making to address commercial surveillance, the “business of collecting, analyzing, and profiting from information about people”. [...] The public can offer input on the FTC notice and the commission will hold a virtual public forum on 8 September.
* [FTC announces Ed Tech prohibited from common data collection and monetization](https://me2ba.org/ftc-prohibits-data-collection-and-monetization-edtech/) 2022-05-26 Me2BA
> Specifically, the FTC will be more closely monitoring all companies covered by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), with particular attention to ed tech, to ensure that children have access to educational tools without being subject to surveillance capitalism.
* [Senate Asks FTC to Investigate ID.me for Deceptive Business Practices](https://findbiometrics.com/senate-asks-ftc-investigate-id-me-deceptive-business-practices-052004/) 2022-05-20 FindBiometrics
> The Senators’ complaints stem from comments that ID.me and CEO Blake Hall made about the nature of its facial recognition system. More specifically, they call attention to statements and a blog post in which Hall claimed that his company only performs one-to-one matching to compare a new selfie to an image on a photo ID during the identity verification process. One-to-one matching is considered to be both more accurate and more secure than alternative one-to-many solutions, since the user’s image is never cross-referenced against a larger database.
* [FTC on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security Rulemaking](https://identitywoman.net/ftc-on-commercial-surveillance-and-data-security-rulemaking/) 2022-02-08 IdentityWoman
> There is a very real risk that because two companies control the mobile handset operating systems – Apple and Google – the will work to limit access to the APIs within the phone preventing any wallets created by other companies working well.
>
> This doesn’t have to happen and the risk of it happening will be reduced if the FTC gets involved to ensure a level playing field for wallet makers – and ensuring consumers will have a choice of who they trust with the sensitive data about who they transact with across the digital world. Thank you.
* [We Applaud the Confirmation of New FTC Commissioner, Alvaro Bedoya](https://me2ba.org/we-applaud-the-confirmation-of-new-ftc-commissioner-alvaro-bedoya/) 2022-05-13 Me2Ba
> Bedoya’s research has shined a light on digital surveillance and its impact on people of color, immigrants, and the working class. He founded the [Center on Privacy & Technology](https://www.law.georgetown.edu/privacy-technology-center/) at Georgetown Law to focus on the importance of consumer privacy rights.
* [FTC proposed consent order prohibits perpetual retention of personal information](https://www.dataprotectionreport.com/2023/03/ftc-proposed-consent-order-prohibits-perpetual-retention-of-personal-information/) 2023-03-26
> We had previously written about an FTC proposed consent order that would prohibit a company from perpetual retention of personal health information. On March 2, 2023, the FTC announced a complaint and proposed consent with BetterHelp, Inc. that would prohibit the company from perpetual retention of personal information—a broader category. Also unlike the previous matter, the FTC did not cite to the health breach notification requirements, but instead included claims only under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Under the proposed consent, BetterHelp would pay $7.8 million, which the FTC may use for consumer redress. In the Matter of BetterHelp, Inc., FTC File No. 2023169 (Mar. 2, 2023).
## Crypto
* [Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/03/09/executive-order-on-ensuring-responsible-development-of-digital-assets/) 2022-03-09 White House - President Biden
> We must promote access to safe and affordable financial services. Many Americans are underbanked and the costs of cross-border money transfers and payments are high. The United States has a strong interest in promoting responsible innovation that expands equitable access to financial services, particularly for those Americans underserved by the traditional banking system, including by making investments and domestic and cross-border funds transfers and payments cheaper, faster, and safer, and by promoting greater and more cost-efficient access to financial products and services. The United States also has an interest in ensuring that the benefits of financial innovation are enjoyed equitably by all Americans and that any disparate impacts of financial innovation are mitigated.
* [The Infrastructure Bill and What it Holds for Crypto](https://selfkey.org/the-infrastructure-bill-and-what-it-holds-for-crypto/) 2021-08-30 SelfKey Foundation
> Reports state that an amendment to the bill is unlikely when it is discussed during the autumn session. Moreover, the treasury has reportedly said it would provide clarifying guidance after the bill is passed to allow exemptions to firms that do not actually operate as brokers. The reported clarification from the Treasury is potentially a welcome sign that would improve the morale of the crypto community regarding the proposed bill.
* [New Directions for Government in the Second Era of the Digital Age](https://www.blockchainresearchinstitute.org/new-directions-for-government-in-the-second-era-of-the-digital-age/) 2021-02-05 Kuppinger Cole
> The [Blockchain Research Institute™](https://www.blockchainresearchinstitute.org/), in collaboration with the Washington DC based [Chamber of Digital Commerce](https://digitalchamber.org/) and other experts have produced a 120-page report on how the Biden-Harris administration could reimagine US technology strategy and policy—and take action to implement it.
### FATF
* [Three Key Takeaways from the FATF’s Latest 12-Month Review on Virtual assets](https://www.elliptic.co/blog/3-key-takeaways-from-the-fatfs-latest-12-month-review-on-virtual-assets) 2021-07-05 Elliptic
> Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setter for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), released its second 12-month review on virtual assets (You can read our summary of its first report from July 2020 report here).
* [What Are the Six Key Areas of the FATF Consultation?](https://www.elliptic.co/blog/six-key-areas-of-the-fatf-consultation) 2021-04-16 Elliptic
> On March 19th, Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setting body for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism finance (AML/CFT), released its [Draft Updated Guidance for a Risk-Based Approach to Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers](https://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/recommendations/March%202021%20-%20VA%20Guidance%20update%20-%20Sixth%20draft%20-%20Public%20consultation.pdf). Or, in compliance acronym speak the FATF's draft guidance for its RBA to VAs and VASPs.
* [FATF and Global Crytpto Regulatory News](https://www.elliptic.co/blog/fatf-concludes-its-annual-plenary-session) 2021-03-03
> The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) [held](https://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/fatfgeneral/documents/outcomes-fatf-plenary-february-2021.html) its winter Plenary session on 22nd, 24th, and 25th February and welcomed over 205 delegates to its third virtual conference since the start of the pandemic.
* [DeFi regulation must not kill the values behind decentralization](https://cointelegraph.com/news/defi-regulation-must-not-kill-the-values-behind-decentralization) 2021-08-22 Cointelegraph
> Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recently [proposed](https://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/fatfrecommendations/documents/public-consultation-guidance-vasp.html) guidelines making it clear that “The owner/operator(s) of the DApp likely fall under the definition of a VASP [virtual asset service provider] [...] even if other parties play a role in the service or portions of the process are automated.
* [State of Crypto: FATF's New Guidance Takes Aim at DeFi](https://www.coindesk.com/fatfs-new-guidance) 2021-03-30 Coindesk
> FATF’s new draft guidance, published on March 19, now draws a distinction between fungible tokens and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), adds descriptors for decentralized exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) and specifies who might be held liable for enforcing KYC requirements for DeFi platforms, according to my colleague Ian Allison:
## IRS
* [THE IRS AND ID.ME: PRIVACY OPTIONAL](https://trustoverip.org/blog/2022/02/15/the-irs-and-id-me-privacy-optional/) 2022-02-15 Trust Over IP
> While it is not clear why the IRS would relinquish this extremely sensitive capability in its entirety to a single, private-sector entity using a proprietary solution, there are clues
* [Rough Seas Ahead People](https://www.moxytongue.com/2022/01/rough-seas-ahead-people.html) 2022-01 MoxyTongue
from the man who invented the term Self-Sovereign Idenitty, ID.me and the IRS.
> Humanity does not come into existence inside a database. The American Government does not come into authority "of, by, for" database entries.
>
> People prove birth certificates, birth certificates do not prove people.
* [IRS Using Facial Scanning](https://www.windley.com/archives/2022/01/irs_using_facial_scanning.shtml) 2022-01 Phil Windley
> The IRS will use ID.me's authentication and identity proofing service exclusively starting sometime this summer. The identity proofing portion employs facial scanning by a third party, causing some concern.
* [IRS Will Soon Require Selfies for Online Access](https://krebsonsecurity.com/2022/01/irs-will-soon-require-selfies-for-online-access/) 2022-01 Krebs on Security
> If you created an online account to manage your tax records with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), those login credentials will cease to work later this year. The agency says that by the summer of 2022, the only way to log in to irs.gov will be through ID.me
## States
### [California]({%link _posts/government/usa/2020-12-04-california.md %})
### New York
* [Excelsior Pass Plus to be recognized out of state, internationally](https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/excelsior-pass-plus-to-be-recognized-out-of-state-internationally/71-434f8c6f-cbac-4d61-a732-ac0e0769efa3) WGRZ
> Excelsior Pass Plus will be compatible with the globally recognized SMART Health Cards Framework developed by VCI. VCI is a coalition of 570 public and private organizations including major health networks and Microsoft.
### Austin, TX
* [City of Austin dabbling in SSI](https://github.com/cityofaustin/lifefiles-project/wiki/blockchain-report) 2020-03
> Many folks within the identity space see VC infrastructure as the future of identification. If much of our online identity is reputation based, then VCs represent a formal method for linking reputations and vouching for others to form a web of trust within which individuals are able to conduct identity transactions in a less centralized way.
### Illinois
* [illinoisblockchain.tech](https://illinoisblockchain.tech/)
* [Illinois Partners with Evernym to Launch Birth Registration Pilot](https://illinoisblockchain.tech/illinois-partners-with-evernym-to-launch-birth-registration-pilot-f2668664f67c)
> August 31, 2017 (Chicago/Salt Lake City) — Today the Illinois Blockchain Initiative announced its partnership with self-sovereign identity solutions leader Evernym, leveraging distributed ledger technology to provide secure digital identity solutions. The concept will augment work from the W3C’s Verifiable Claims Task Force and use the Sovrin Foundation’s distributed identity ledger to create a secure, “self-sovereign” identity for Illinois citizens during the birth registration process.
### Wyoming
* [Principal Authority](https://www.blockchaincommons.com/articles/Principal-Authority/) 2021-09-15 Blockchain Commons
> Principal Authority focuses not just on a single person’s authority to act digitally, but also on their ability to delegate to and require duties from other entities. In other words, these peer-to-peer relationships works within the context of a state who recognizes the concept of Principal Authority. Thus the use of Principal Authority to empower Self-Sovereign Identity provides a legal foothold for many of the original 10 #SSI principles. It also suggests five additional duties that are generally defined under the Laws of Agency to be due from agents to Principals.
* [2020 Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology](https://www.wyoleg.gov/Committees/2020/S19) - Click on 11/2/2020 meeting details, and find the discussion on Disclosure of private cryptographic keys @ 9:30 am.
## Utah
* [January Walker (UT04) on the Future of Self-Sovereign Identity](https://web3domains.com/january-walker-ut04-on-the-future-of-self-sovereign-identity/) 2022-09-03 Web3 Domains
> There are so many things that build into your identity and you’ll take all this information and it’ll be issued to you through a decentralized ID. These wallets will have layers of protection that protect your information, like your Social Security number or your birth certificate, or your marriage license. You’ll have this extra layer of protection when you need to prove your identity, and this could apply to a passport as well.
* [Utah State Legislature Passes Facial Recognition Bill](https://findbiometrics.com/utah-state-legislature-passes-facial-recognition-bill-030504/) 2021-03-05
> The Utah bill, on the other hand, allows public agencies to use facial recognition as long as certain guidelines are followed. Most notably, law enforcement officers must submit a written request before performing a facial recognition search, and must be able to provide a valid reason for doing so.
## See Also
### [Department of Homeland Security]({{ site.baseurl }}/government/usa/dhs/)
The Department of Homeland Security began funding work into blockchain credentials around 2016 with it's Silicon Valley Innovation (SVIP) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Programs