What online identity verification collects and retains

Signing in and proving identity are different tasks

Login.gov says some agencies require identity verification after account creation or sign-in. Its overview describes identity documents, a Social Security number and phone or address verification. A selfie is required in some cases. It also describes possible in-person or mailed-address routes, depending on the verification problem; these are not guaranteed alternatives for every agency. Login.gov: account access versus identity proofing

Verification can involve more than an uploaded photo

Login.gov describes checking an ID's authenticity and validating information against issuing or authoritative sources, including credit or telephone records. A selfie can be compared with the ID portrait by service providers. Its process page also describes session records such as browser type, version and session length. Login.gov: document checks and session records

Fraud checks and account records have their own retention

Login.gov's Privacy Act statement describes device, session and form-interaction analysis to mitigate fraud. It says vendors retain personal information for 90 days, with longer fraud-investigation or legal exceptions. Account, audit, usage and related records are retained while an account is active, with longer business or legal retention possible. This is not a universal 90-day purge. Login.gov: information, service providers, retention and consent

Biometric comparison can have more than one purpose

ID.me's biometric consent policy describes comparing document and selfie facial geometry and comparing derived information against other biometric information on its platform for fraud prevention. Its English policy is version 3.3.0, updated 04-10-2026. These stated uses differ from simply checking that a face resembles one ID photograph. ID.me: biometric consent version 3.3.0 and retention

Read the current biometric policy alongside help instructions

ID.me's consent policy describes retention while a wallet is active, deletion no later than one year after closure, shorter law or contract requirements, and fraud or legal exceptions. This policy does not promise immediate deletion when a wallet closes. ID.me: biometric consent version 3.3.0 and retention

A separate ID.me help page describes a Delete my selfie control, a pending status and removal taking up to seven days. That help page and the current consent policy describe different deletion routes and timelines. A seven-day help statement should not be treated as a confirmed deletion of every retained identity record. ID.me: selfie deletion help and status messages

Wallet closure can affect access and leave other records

ID.me's closure help warns that closing during government-benefit verification can interrupt the process and delay an application. It describes profile removal within seven days while also saying personal information may be retained for up to three years. Profile status, continued service access and retained records are different questions. ID.me: wallet closure, access and retained information

A Login.gov deletion does not delete an agency file

Login.gov says deleting an account removes its email address, password and phone number and prevents sign-in to agencies requiring that account. The help explicitly says information saved with partner agencies is not lost. Removing a sign-in route is not a request to erase the agency's application or service records. Login.gov: deletion consequences and separate agency records