Trending
There has been a major shift in the way US residents have begun accessing various online services throughout 2025. This is especially true with local services, where there has been a move away from traditional passwords and logins. Instead, new models have been put in place that rely on biometrics and Zero Trust as a means of combating potential AI-driven fraud. Naturally, this has been a game-changer, not only for federal and government platforms, but also for leisure services such as streaming and gaming options. It has led to a trend of many businesses/organizations updating their identity management tools.
As technological upgrades are very common in the modern age, many might have missed this update. An example of where this can be seen is within federal portals (think Login.gov or local DMV systems), wherein facial scans have become the standard. These qualify as liveness checks and generally act as a means of confirming it is a real person logging in, and that their face matches the one on record. A second instance of this phenomenon is within the iGaming sector, where casino sites with Inclave login have become more popular. These make quick registration possible, alongside multi-factor authentication, facial recognition, and fingerprint reading, so users do not need to solely rely on passwords.
Even healthcare portals, streaming services, and other regularly used services (store accounts, rewards cards) have upgraded to these newer, safer systems. The goal is to protect sensitive information like banking details and other personal user data. Despite the drive for safety and security, there has been an ongoing debate regarding the efficiency of these updates. While this new tech is great for reducing fraud or data theft, it creates friction in other spheres. For one, how many residents actually have a stable enough internet connection to properly make use of these systems? Similarly, how many have the latest smartphones or laptops to correctly run these new models?
Regarding fraud reduction, these new models extend beyond just login management. In fact, these make use of AI models that help to track any suspicious activity in real time, helping to alert users immediately should something go wrong. Bank of America and Wells Fargo are two great examples of large institutions that have made use of Edge AI models that help with real-time fraud detection. Within a matter of seconds, these models can scan through hundreds of transactions and flag any strange or unusual transactions. The same is true with local government systems, with new tech optimizing safety.
This ties directly into the digital divide, where some users may not have the latest tech. Generally, these models are built to be compatible across all devices, whether a flagship or a lower-end smartphone. Ultimately, local administrators are aiming to balance accessibility with security, and that requires integrating systems that work for everyone. However, this does raise a cost concern for smaller US municipalities, as such tech is not cheap. To ensure a nationwide rollout, it only makes sense that funds would be made available for all states.