Digital Government
Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, 12 senators warned that the deployment of facial biometrics at every U.S. airport could create “one of the largest federal surveillance databases overnight without authorization from Congress.”
How the federal CIO is prepping for the presidential transition
Cybersecurity, customer experience and effective transition efforts have been top-of-mind for Clare Matorana in the last days of the Biden administration.
Satisfaction with government hits record high just before a new Trump admin
The incoming Trump administration casts an uncertain light on the customer experience gains made in recent years.
VA proposes funding telehealth access points at non-VA facilities
The VA is looking to expand access to virtual healthcare consults by funding the creation of such access points at non-VA facilities in rural or medically underserved areas.
Former federal tech leaders share transition wisdom ahead of 2024 election
Despite changing administrations, experts say technology priorities remain constant while emphasizing importance of communication and workforce development.
Cutting red tape is key to financial inclusion, Treasury says
A new Department of Treasury strategy calls on those delivering government programs to make them easier to access.
TSA to allow mobile driver’s licenses after REAL ID goes into effect
The final rule will allow states that have issued mobile driver’s licenses to apply for TSA-issued waivers of certain REAL ID requirements.
Lawmakers want DOJ to create national human trafficking database
A new bipartisan House bill would incentivize law enforcement agencies to provide county-specific data on cases of human trafficking.
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USDA inches ahead in plan to secure EBT cards from skimming
The U.S. Agriculture Department doesn’t have a timeline for fully moving food assistance accounts to industry-standard chip cards, however, leaving beneficiaries vulnerable to digital theft.
White House probes the collision of AI and personal data
Policymakers are examining how the advent of artificial intelligence could create new privacy risks around the federal agency purchase and use of personal information from data brokers.
Why governments are ‘particularly well-positioned’ to offer identity validation
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, governments that use its guidance to offer attribute validation services may have to rely less often on commercial data for identity.
Hill Dems question IRS on identity verification requirements for Direct File
Taxpayers had to go through outsourced identity verification to use Direct File during the last tax season, a level of assurance the lawmakers note is not required for commercial tax prep companies.
GSA's Login to offer face recognition to customer agencies
Agencies using the government-created service will have the option to incorporate new face-matching capabilities or stick with existing offerings.
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Bipartisan Senate duo seeks to push IRS customer service forward
The tax agency is already working on some of the items in the bill — like improving online accounts.
Agencies have struggled to meet IDEA Act requirements, watchdog finds
The Government Accountability Office found that only 70% of the 24 agencies covered by the IDEA Act submitted annual reports between December 2019 and December 2023.
IRS Direct File to be available in 24 states next year
The agency is also expanding the scope of tax situations the tool will cover.
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GSA's identity service on track to meet key standards, program director says
The director of Login.gov says that the federally managed identity service is on track to finally meet an important standard for digital identity verification.
Lawmakers want government to promote use of digital IDs
Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., told Nextgov/FCW that he’s hoping to get his Improving Digital Identity Act included in the House AI Task Force’s list of recommended policy proposals.
Commerce launches initial phase of its space traffic coordination system
The new system will provide conjunction data messages “for approximately 1,000 space objects six times a day” during phase 1.0.
VA offers veterans nationwide access to emergency telehealth care
The department said the new tele-emergency care resource will allow veterans to connect with clinical triage nurses for timely medical evaluations.
FCC to vote on georouting for suicide and crisis lifeline calls
The FCC plans to vote on rules during its Oct. 17 open meeting that would require all U.S. wireless carriers to implement georouting for calls to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
