The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate announced on Monday that it has offered contracts to six technology companies to develop digital wallet services as part of the department’s goal to advance digital technologies used in the areas of immigration and travel.
According to a DHS press release, three U.S.-based companies received the awards: Credence ID, Hushmesh and SpruceID, along with European companies Ubiqu, Procivis and Netis doo. The awards were given in response to a call for proposals posted by the department last year. Each company received just under $200,000 in prize money, but could ultimately win up to $1.7 million.
“DHS is the prestigious provider of some of the most valuable credentials issued by the U.S. federal government for cross-border travel, verifying employment eligibility, residency and citizenship,” Anil John, technical director of S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP), said in a press release.
He continued: “The capabilities developed under this request will ensure that credentials can be securely stored and properly verified while protecting individual privacy using openly developed standards that are globally accepted, highly secure, and publicly accessible.”
DHS’s investment in digital wallet services — a place where people can eventually store personal information — comes as the government places an increased emphasis on digital authentication systems through services like Login.gov, ID.me and mobile driver’s licenses.
Author: Rebecca Heilweil Rebecca Heilweil is an investigative reporter at FedScoop. She writes about the intersection of government, tech policy and emerging technologies. She was previously a reporter for Vox’s tech site Recode. Her work has also appeared in Slate, Wired, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. You can reach her at rebecca.heilweil@fedscoop.com. If you’d like to chat on Signal, send me a message.
