Mon Jan 1, 0001

Identity Verification

KYC (Know Your Customer)

Origin: Bank Secrecy Act of 1970. Expanded: USA PATRIOT Act (2001). Data: full legal name, DOB, address, SSN, government-issued photo ID.

Originally banking only; now crypto exchanges, fintech apps, online platforms.

Form 4473 (Firearms Transaction Record)

Collects: full legal name, current address, DOB, place of birth, sex, height, weight, race, ethnicity, SSN (optional). Section A/C: firearm make, model, caliber, serial number. Dealer contacts NICS (checks three FBI databases).

Since August 2022: dealers must retain 4473s indefinitely (previously 20 years). Estimated 22% of gun acquisitions via private sales (no 4473, no background check, no records under federal law). 20 states require universal background checks.

Age Verification Laws

Louisiana Act 440 (effective January 1, 2023): requires adult websites to verify age via government-issued ID. 24+ states enacted similar laws since.

VPN usage spikes after laws took effect:

  • Louisiana: 12%
  • Utah: 57%
  • Virginia: 35%
  • Mississippi: 39%

Pornhub blocked access entirely in several states rather than comply.

ID.me

  • 156 million users, 21 federal agencies, 50 state agencies, 70+ healthcare orgs
  • Verifies for IRS, SSA, Treasury, VA, 30 state unemployment agencies
  • Collects: government ID images, live selfie, facial geometry (biometrics)
  • Retains biometric data up to 36 months
  • January 2022: CEO Blake Hall initially denied using 1:many facial recognition; admitted in LinkedIn post the company used it against database of 70M+ faces (CyberScoop)
  • February 7, 2022: IRS announced transition away from facial recognition requirement after backlash; as of 2023 had not offered alternative
  • GAO: agencies using ID.me lacked adequate oversight; relied on vendor self-attestation for biometric deletion rather than independent audits
  • ACLU: private company gatekeeping public services + biometric data that can’t be changed if breached + accessibility barriers

Sources