US preparing privacy technologies to secure new digital ID for immigrants

The Homeland Security Department is working on a digital ID for refugees and asylum seekers that is based on privacy-enhancing technology.

Mason Clutter, DHS’ chief privacy officer, was speaking about privacy-enhancing technology (PET) when it came up during an online forum hosted last week by the trade publication GovExec.

Clutter said too many people forget that a “key component of privacy is security.” Privacy violations can result in data breaches and worse, she said.

“PETs are our zero trust,” Clutter said. “It has become a key initiative for us across the department.”

Her team is responsible for policies and programs to protect DHS employees’ biometrics and other personal data. But it’s also working with multiple units within the department to integrate privacy-enhancing technologies and with startups to develop new technologies.

The technologies come into play within the DHS, for example, when using synthetic data to train AI models. Sensitive data irrelevant to the training are stripped with the tools, she said.

Clutter has taken that mission to an area that is less intuitive than others, developing a digital immigration credential that supports limited disclosure.

Displaying the iconic U.S. green card serves as identification for refugees and those seeking asylum, but like almost every other contemporary form of ID, it often communicates more personal information than is required in many situations.

The card, she said, should be available in two to three years and will not have a phone-home function. Bearers will be able to buy alcohol, according to Clutter, without disclosing their immigration status.

U.S. efforts to upgrade border protections with digital technology have previously been flagged for potential privacy concerns by advocates for immigrants’ rights.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  DHS  |  digital identity  |  immigration  |  privacy  |  United States