Privacy & security

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" name="viewport" />  <meta content="summary" name="twitter:card" />  <title> Privacy & security | Login.gov</title> <meta property="og:title" content=" Privacy & security | Login.gov" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content=" Privacy & security | Login.gov" />  <meta name="description" content=" Learn more about our security and privacy practices " /> <meta property="og:description" content=" Learn more about our security and privacy practices " /> <meta property="twitter:description" content=" Learn more about our security and privacy practices " />   <link rel="image_src" href="https://login.gov/assets/img/login-gov-288x288.png" /> <meta name="image" content="https://login.gov/assets/img/login-gov-288x288.png" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://login.gov/assets/img/login-gov-288x288.png" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://login.gov/assets/img/login-gov-288x288.png" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.login.gov/policy/" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png" /> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon-32x32.png" sizes="32x32" /> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon-16x16.png" sizes="16x16" /> <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json" /> <link rel="mask-icon" href="/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#e21c3d" /> <meta content="#ffffff" name="theme-color" />  <meta name="system-status" content="Login.gov site up and running" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/css/main.css" media="screen">  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-HBYXWFP794"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag() { dataLayer.push(arguments); } gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-HBYXWFP794'); </script>  <script async type="text/javascript" src="https://dap.digitalgov.gov/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?agency=GSA&subagency=TTS" id="_fed_an_ua_tag" ></script>  <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-M3KZGM4');</script>  <script src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js"></script> <script> function timestamp() { var response = document.getElementById("g-recaptcha-response"); var settings = document.getElementsByName("captcha_settings"); if (!settings.length) return 0; if (response == null || response.value.trim() == "") { var elems = JSON.parse(settings[0].value); elems["ts"] = JSON.stringify(new Date().getTime()); document.getElementsByName("captcha_settings")[0].value = JSON.stringify( elems ); } } setInterval(timestamp, 500); </script> <script src="/assets/js/init.js"></script> </head> <body class=" lang-en">  <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M3KZGM4" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <header> <section> <a class="usa-skipnav" href="#main-content"> Skip to main content </a> </section> <section class="usa-banner" aria-label="Official government website"> <div class="usa-accordion"> <div class="usa-banner__header"> <div class="usa-banner__inner container"> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <img class="usa-banner__header-flag" src="/assets/img/us-flag.png" alt="U.S. flag" /> </div> <div class="grid-col-fill tablet:grid-col-auto"> <p class="usa-banner__header-text"> An official website of the United States government </p> <p class="usa-banner__header-action" aria-hidden="true"> Here’s how you know </p> </div> <button class="usa-accordion__button usa-banner__button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="gov-banner" > <span class="usa-banner__button-text" >Here’s how you know</span > </button> </div> </div> <div class="usa-banner__content usa-accordion__content container" id="gov-banner"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap-lg"> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="/assets/img/icon-dot-gov.svg" alt="" aria-hidden="true" /> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong> <br /> A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. </p> </div> </div> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="/assets/img/icon-https.svg" alt="" aria-hidden="true" /> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong> <br /> A <strong>lock</strong> or <strong>https://</strong> means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="language-search"> <div class="container"> <div class="grid-col display-flex flex-justify-end flex-align-center"> <div class="language-picker language-picker--dropdown usa-accordion"> <button aria-controls="language-picker-dropdown" aria-expanded="false" class="usa-accordion__button language-picker__label language-picker__label--button" > <svg class="usa-icon" aria-hidden="true" role="img"> <use xlink:href="/assets/img/sprite.svg#language"></use> </svg> <span id="language-picker-dropdown-description" class="language-picker__label-text"> Language </span> <svg class="usa-icon usa-icon--size-3 language-picker__expander" aria-hidden="true" role="img"> <use xlink:href="/assets/img/sprite.svg#expand_more"></use> </svg> </button> <ul id="language-picker-dropdown" aria-describedby="language-picker-dropdown-description" class="usa-accordion__content language-picker__list" > <li> <a href="/policy/" lang="en" hreflang="en"> English </a> </li> <li> <a href="/es/policy/" lang="es" hreflang="es"> Español </a> </li> <li> <a href="/fr/policy/" lang="fr" hreflang="fr"> Français </a> </li> <li> <a href="/zh/policy/" lang="zh" hreflang="zh"> 中文 (简体) </a> </li> </ul> </div> <a class=" usa-button sign-in-logo" href="https://secure.login.gov/" tabindex="0" > Sign in with <span>Login.gov</span> </a> </div> </div> </section> <div class="usa-header usa-header--extended"> <div class="usa-nav-container"> <div class="usa-navbar"> <div class="usa-logo" id="extended-logo"> <a href="/" aria-label="Home"> <img src="/assets/img/logo.svg" class="usa-logo__img" alt="Login.gov Homepage" /> </a> </div> <button class="usa-menu-btn">Menu</button> </div> <nav class="usa-nav" aria-label="Primary links"> <div class="usa-nav__inner"> <button class="usa-nav__close"> <img src="/assets/img/close.svg" alt="Close" /> </button> <a class="mobile usa-button sign-in-logo" href="https://secure.login.gov/" tabindex="0" > Sign in with <span>Login.gov</span> </a> <ul class="usa-nav__primary usa-accordion"> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item"> <a class="usa-nav__link " href="/what-is-login/" > What is Login.gov? </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item"> <a class="usa-nav__link " href="/who-uses-login/" > Who uses Login.gov? </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item"> <a class="usa-nav__link " href="/create-an-account/" > Create an account </a> </li> <li class="usa-nav__primary-item"> <a class="usa-nav__link " href="/help/" > Help center </a> </li> </ul> <a class="usa-link display-block desktop:display-none padding-y-1 margin-y-3 text-no-underline text-bold" href="/contact/" > Contact us </a> <form accept-charset="UTF-8" action="https://search.usa.gov/search" class="usa-search usa-search--1 display-flex flex-justify-center" method="get" role="search" > <input name="utf8" type="hidden" value="✓" /> <input name="affiliate" type="hidden" value="login.gov" /> <label class="usa-sr-only" for="search-field-header-nav" >Search</label > <input class="usa-input" id="search-field-header-nav" name="query" type="search" /> <button class="usa-button" type="submit"> <span class="usa-search__submit-text">Search</span> </button> </form> <div class="desktop:display-none margin-top-3"> <div class="language-picker"> <div class="language-picker__label language-picker__label--text"> <img src="/assets/img/globe-blue.svg" alt="" width="12" height="12"> <span id="language-picker-mobile-list-description"> Language </span> </div> <ul id="language-picker-mobile-list" aria-describedby="language-picker-mobile-list-description" class=" language-picker__list" > <li> <a href="/policy/" lang="en" hreflang="en"> English </a> </li> <li> <a href="/es/policy/" lang="es" hreflang="es"> Español </a> </li> <li> <a href="/fr/policy/" lang="fr" hreflang="fr"> Français </a> </li> <li> <a href="/zh/policy/" lang="zh" hreflang="zh"> 中文 (简体) </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="usa-overlay"></div> </header> <main id="main-content"> <section class="hero usa-section--dark bg-none"> <div class="container"> <div class="display-flex flex-column flex-justify-center height-full tablet:grid-col-6" > <h1 class="hero__title"> Privacy & security </h1> </div> </div> </section> <div class="container"> <div class="page-content container--mod grid-row"> <div class="desktop:display-none grid-col-12 margin-bottom-3"> <nav aria-label="Secondary links" class="position-sticky pin-top"> <ul class="usa-sidenav"> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/" class="usa-current" >Privacy & security</a > <ul class="usa-sidenav__sublist"> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/" class="usa-current" > Our commitment to your privacy and security </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/how-does-it-work/" class="" > How does it work? </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/our-privacy-act-statement/" class="" > Our privacy act statement </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/messaging-terms-and-conditions/" class="" > Messaging terms and conditions </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/rules-of-use/" class="" > Rules of use </a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> <div class="usa-prose grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-8"> <h2 id="intro">Login.gov is committed to your privacy and security</h2> <p>This describes how we ask for, use, retain, and protect your personal information. Protecting your information is our priority at Login.gov.</p> <p>The information that you submit is used to create or update your Login.gov account and give you access to Login.gov’s partner agencies. When you provide your email address or other proof of identity like a state ID, we can be sure it’s really you and grant you access to the account — and keep the bad actors away. This proof, called an electronic identity assurance credential, is like putting a key into a lock to securely open the door to the government agency’s application or service.</p> <h3 id="how-we-work-with-our-partner-agencies">How we work with our partner agencies:</h3> <ul class="usa-list"> <li>Login.gov partners with government agencies to provide secure access to their website, application, or service. The partner agency (for example, the United States Office of Personnel Management) selects the type of information we request from you.</li> <li>We ask primarily for information to authenticate your account and/or prove your identity.</li> <li>When you create a Login.gov account, you consent to share personally identifiable information (PII). The information that you need to share depends on the request of the partner agency.</li> <li>For authentication to establish a secure account, we need your name, email address, and an authentication method. Your authentication method could be a phone number where we share an SMS code, USB Security Key, or other options.</li> <li>Identity proofing requires more sensitive information such as a social security number, address, phone number, and U.S.-based state ID or driver’s license. A self-photograph is needed in cases where partners require verification through biometric comparison as further proof of your identity. Biometric comparison involves comparing your self-photograph to the portrait on your government-issued ID card.</li> <li>When completing identity proofing in person at the United State Postal Service (USPS) Office, we share your validated name and address with USPS so that clerks can confirm your identity in person.</li> <li>When you visit Login.gov, we anonymously aggregate some data, which means that no individually identifying information is attached to it. We aggregate the pages visited, web browser type and version, and the length of the session to help us improve the Login.gov experience.For example, if you experience an error and we know your web browser type and version, we can better identify how to fix your issue.</li> <li>Your stored account information is encrypted at two levels. Encryption translates your data into code that is only accessible by you, the Login.gov account holder. This means you are the only one who can view and make changes to your account information.</li> <li>The Login.gov operators (that is, our contact help center) cannot view your information or make any changes.</li> </ul> <p>Protecting your information is our priority. You can read more detailed explanations about <a class="usa-link" href="/policy/how-does-it-work/">how Login.gov works</a>, and <a class="usa-link" href="/policy/our-privacy-act-statement/">our privacy act statement</a>.</p> <a href="#main-content" class="usa-link anchor-to-top">Back to top</a> </div> <div class="display-none desktop:display-block grid-offset-1 grid-col-3"> <nav aria-label="Secondary links" class="position-sticky pin-top"> <ul class="usa-sidenav"> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/" class="usa-current" >Privacy & security</a > <ul class="usa-sidenav__sublist"> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/" class="usa-current" > Our commitment to your privacy and security </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/how-does-it-work/" class="" > How does it work? </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/our-privacy-act-statement/" class="" > Our privacy act statement </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/messaging-terms-and-conditions/" class="" > Messaging terms and conditions </a> </li> <li class="usa-sidenav__item"> <a href="/policy/rules-of-use/" class="" > Rules of use </a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer class="footer"> <div class="footer-navigation container grid-row"> <div class="grid-col-12 margin-y-2 tablet:grid-col-auto"> <img src="/assets/img/logo.svg" alt="Login.gov logo" width="191" height="27" /> </div> <div class="grid-col-fill"></div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-auto"> <nav aria-label="Footer navigation" class="grid-row grid-gap-2 tablet:grid-gap-6" > <section class="grid-col-6 tablet:grid-col-auto margin-y-2 footer-navigation__section"> <h2>For agencies</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/partners/"> Become a partner </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://developers.login.gov"> Developer guide </a> </li> </ul> </section> <section class="grid-col-6 tablet:grid-col-auto margin-y-2 footer-navigation__section"> <h2>Learn</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/about-us/"> About us </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accessibility/"> Accessibility </a> </li> <li> <a href="/join/"> Join us </a> </li> <li> <a href="/policy/"> Privacy & security </a> </li> </ul> </section> <section class="grid-col-6 tablet:grid-col-auto margin-y-2 footer-navigation__section"> <h2>Support</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/contact/"> Contact us </a> </li> <li> <a href="/help/"> Help center </a> </li> </ul> </section> </nav> <div class="system-status"> <a class="" href="https://status.login.gov">Login.gov system status</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="usa-identifier"> <section class="usa-identifier__section usa-identifier__section--masthead" aria-label="Agency identifier"> <div class="usa-identifier__container"> <div class="usa-identifier__logos"> <a href="https://www.gsa.gov" class="usa-identifier__logo"> <img class="usa-identifier__logo-img" src="/assets/img/gsa-logo.svg" alt="GSA homepage" /> </a> </div> <div class="usa-identifier__identity" 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class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/reference/civil-rights-programs/the-no-fear-act" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> No FEAR Act data </a> </li> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://www.gsaig.gov/" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> Office of the Inspector General </a> </li> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/reference/reports/budget-performance" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> Performance reports </a> </li> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/website-information/website-policies" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> Privacy policy </a> </li> </ul> </div> </nav> <section class="usa-identifier__section usa-identifier__section--usagov" aria-label="U.S. government information and services"> <div class="usa-identifier__container"> <div class="usa-identifier__usagov-description"> 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