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0 pointsdragontamer11y ago0 comments

USPS is rumored to be working on such a system actually.

http://securekey.com/press-releases/securekey-technologies-w...

SecureKey IIRC is used by Canada. USPS is in a unique position in that they have a ton of employees literally who can verify mailing addresses by brute force. Every day (except holidays). Rain, Snow or shine.

Having USPS in charge of the US's future "online identity" would be a good way of transforming the ailing agency and giving them a very useful purpose that only USPS can do. There's a lot of win/win potential here.

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3 comments · 2 top-level

r00fus11y ago· 1 in thread

This is/should be the main offering of the USPS - secure identity location verification.

It's too bad their hands are so tied by Congress (and a malicious one at that - having to pay pension fund 75 years early)... they might have made this move a decade or so earlier.

xrange11y ago

...isn't that 75 year thing incorrect?

http://www.cnbc.com/id/45018432

elihu11y ago

I believe that verifying and vouching for the identity of it's citizens is one of the legitimate roles of government. I find it odd that we can have government issued social security numbers, passports, and driver's licenses, but I can't go to some office and have the US government sign my public key or SSL certificate. For some reason, if it's electronic, government is expected to defer to the free market.

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