ID.me, an online identity verification platform that provides discounts to members of certain groups, recently announced that it has opened its marketplace to all consumers. Now anyone can register to get deals from providers like Hotels.com, Kohl's, and Gander Mountain.
Separately, ID.me announced that it's been certified by the federal government at the highest level to provide federal identity, credential and access management (FICAM).
ID.me started in 2011 as TroopID, an online credentialing service for those in the military. Once members of the military verified their identities on the platform, they gained access to discounts and services reserved just for them. In 2011, TroopID expanded to ID.me and now verifies the identities of members of any group—from students, to the AARP to a local PTA. Individuals are now also welcome to join the ID.me platform and build a virtual wallet to access discounts, though the best discounts will be reserved for VIPs who qualify (and who can verify their identities using ID.me). For example, a consumer might get a better deal by being a verified student who has a Klout score of 60 or higher.
"The more things you identify about yourself, the more incentives will be unlocked," says Blake Hall, ID.me's founder and CEO. "But we have a strict privacy policy in favor of the citizen. We share the minimum [data] required." Users can review the offers on the marketplace and decide what they want to share.
They can also do so knowing that their personal data is secure, given the new federal security certification. According to Hall, Verizon and Symantec are the only other two companies to offer the same level of identity security. "The standards are 137 pages" long, Hall says. To obtain that level of certification often takes 18 months. "Facebook [for example] has refused to comply [with FICAM standards] because their business model depends on ads." With online identity theft and retailer credit card breaches more common than ever, online security is unsurprisingly a watchword for tech firms going forward. Even the highest levels of government are taking notice: President Obama today
called identity theft "America's fastest-growing crime."
ID.me works with more than 500 retailers. A partnership with SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment that began in September is slated to distribute 750,000 free tickets per year to active-duty military, and 300,000 half-price tickets to veterans. "It's been incredible to watch that program take off," Hall says.
ID.me has 46 full-time employees in its new McLean digs. "We needed more space, but we also wanted to move for cultural reasons," Hall says. "The design of a space can impact a company's culture." The new office is more open and modern. The company is actively seeking marketing and engineering support.