New ID verification system unveiled by White House

A new system rolled out by the White House is hoping to better ensure online identity verification for both private and public institutions. And while identity theft online is considered a major issue for businesses all over the country, some privacy advocates say consumer information could be obtained by hackers who will use the ID system to commit acts of fraud. The National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, an initiative unveiled earlier this year, seeks to create a more secure system that will rely on added proof that a person is who they claim to be while surfing the web. "Think of it as a driver's license for the Internet," The New York Times reports. "The idea is that if people have a simple, easy way to prove who they are online with more than a flimsy password, they'll naturally do more business on the Web. And companies and government agencies, such as Social Security or the Internal Revenue Service, could offer those consumers faster, more secure online services." One of the biggest opponents of the electronic ID verification trend is the Tea Party movement. In a letter to Congress, the D.C. Tea Party, GOProud, Tea Party Nation, Downsize DC and other conservative organizations called on the government to reject the Legal Workforce Act, an employment background system.