ID.me to authenticate Connect.Gov users

Tysons Corner-based digital passport company ID.me will serve as the virtual bouncer of the federal government.

“The Connect.gov initiative allows individuals verified through ID.me to utilize one set of digital credentials across a broad network of commercial and public sector resources,” said ID.me Chief Product Officer Ryan Fox in a statement Wednesday.
The company has cinched an 18-month contract with the General Services Administration to vet users visiting Connect.Gov, a centralized website for access to resources and benefits from various government agencies.
Hundreds of retailers use ID.me to proof customers for targeted coupons and rebates, including big-ticket brands like Under Armour, Starbucks and Dell.
We profiled the company in October.
ID.me has participated in the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace pilot, the broader program behind Connect.Gov, since October 2013.
In September 2013, ID.me was awarded a $1.2 million grant, and said it expected an additional $1.6 million, from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop the system.