Gartner®, Deepfake Identity Threats: Mitigate Risk in Identity Verification and Face Biometrics, Akif Khan, Nayara Sangiorgio, James Hoover, 11 May 2026
Gartner® is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.
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Helping Veterans securely access the care and benefits they’ve earned
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has integrated CLEAR1, CLEAR’s secure identity platform, into VA.gov, giving Veterans, service members, family members, and other eligible users a free, optional way to create and access their accounts.
“I was extremely surprised to know that almost half our Veterans do not access their benefits because it’s hard to log in, which means their healthcare, their education benefits, their housing benefits—they’re not getting them. We want to change that.”
- Caryn Seidman Becker, Founder, Chair, and CEO, CLEAR
Veterans already navigate enough complexity in life after service. Accessing the care and benefits they’ve earned shouldn’t be another barrier. Making that first step simpler can reduce friction for Veterans while helping power trust for every sign-in on VA.gov.
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A better experience can also be a more secure one
CLEAR’s work with the VA is built around the Veteran experience while also addressing a challenge shared by every federal agency: making essential services easier to access while protecting the programs, information, and public resources behind them. Trusted digital identity helps bring those priorities together.
Traditional ways of establishing identity often rely on what someone possesses or knows, such as a document, credential, password, or piece of personal information. As identity threats grow more sophisticated—from deepfakes and synthetic identities to spoofed documents and compromised devices—relying on a single signal is no longer enough.
That’s why CLEAR1 takes a multi-layered approach, combining biometric and document verification with verified data sources to help the VA confirm that the person accessing an account matches the identity associated with it. For users, that complexity stays behind the scenes, and after a quick, one-time setup, it's just a quick selfie for future sign-ins.
“CLEAR is about making experiences safer and easier in real life, in person and online. We are honored to be working with the VA to connect Veterans to the benefits they so rightfully deserve.”
- Caryn Seidman Becker, Founder, Chair, and CEO, CLEAR
How identity can strengthen program integrity
Federal agencies reported an estimated $186 billion in improper payments across 64 programs in fiscal year 2025. At the VA, the Government Accountability Office estimated roughly $1 billion in improper payments in the Beneficiary Travel Program between fiscal years 2018 and 2024.
Identity assurance cannot prevent every form of improper payment, fraud, waste, or abuse. However, establishing confidence that the right person is accessing the right account, service, or benefit can be an important first layer of protection.
Modern identity infrastructure gives federal agencies a way to strengthen program integrity without choosing between a better experience and stronger security, reducing unnecessary friction for the people they serve while giving agencies greater confidence at critical moments.
Privacy and control as part of the design
Transparency and choice are built into the CLEAR experience. People can see the information CLEAR is requesting, how it will be used, and what the VA will receive. They explicitly consent before verification, and only the information each individual authorizes is provided to the VA.
During the VA.gov sign-in process, CLEAR helps verify a person’s identity so they can securely access their account. CLEAR does not receive or access a Veteran’s health information or medical records, and does not sell biometric or sensitive personal data.
Participation in CLEAR is always optional. Veterans can sign in using another method if they prefer.
The first step matters
Through its work with Medicare.gov and now the VA, CLEAR continues to extend the identity expertise it built at the airport to the government services people rely on.
Across federal programs, a trusted sign-in can connect people to care, benefits, records, and other essential services while giving agencies greater confidence that the person accessing those services is who they claim to be.
CLEAR is proud to help make that first step simpler and more secure at VA.gov. Explore how we’re giving agencies and civilians greater confidence.
See how we’re supporting VA.gov users
Watch SegmentHelping Veterans securely access the care and benefits they’ve earned
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has integrated CLEAR1, CLEAR’s secure identity platform, into VA.gov, giving Veterans, service members, family members, and other eligible users a free, optional way to create and access their accounts.
“I was extremely surprised to know that almost half our Veterans do not access their benefits because it’s hard to log in, which means their healthcare, their education benefits, their housing benefits—they’re not getting them. We want to change that.”
- Caryn Seidman Becker, Founder, Chair, and CEO, CLEAR
Veterans already navigate enough complexity in life after service. Accessing the care and benefits they’ve earned shouldn’t be another barrier. Making that first step simpler can reduce friction for Veterans while helping power trust for every sign-in on VA.gov.
{{cta-block}}
A better experience can also be a more secure one
CLEAR’s work with the VA is built around the Veteran experience while also addressing a challenge shared by every federal agency: making essential services easier to access while protecting the programs, information, and public resources behind them. Trusted digital identity helps bring those priorities together.
Traditional ways of establishing identity often rely on what someone possesses or knows, such as a document, credential, password, or piece of personal information. As identity threats grow more sophisticated—from deepfakes and synthetic identities to spoofed documents and compromised devices—relying on a single signal is no longer enough.
That’s why CLEAR1 takes a multi-layered approach, combining biometric and document verification with verified data sources to help the VA confirm that the person accessing an account matches the identity associated with it. For users, that complexity stays behind the scenes, and after a quick, one-time setup, it's just a quick selfie for future sign-ins.
“CLEAR is about making experiences safer and easier in real life, in person and online. We are honored to be working with the VA to connect Veterans to the benefits they so rightfully deserve.”
- Caryn Seidman Becker, Founder, Chair, and CEO, CLEAR
How identity can strengthen program integrity
Federal agencies reported an estimated $186 billion in improper payments across 64 programs in fiscal year 2025. At the VA, the Government Accountability Office estimated roughly $1 billion in improper payments in the Beneficiary Travel Program between fiscal years 2018 and 2024.
Identity assurance cannot prevent every form of improper payment, fraud, waste, or abuse. However, establishing confidence that the right person is accessing the right account, service, or benefit can be an important first layer of protection.
Modern identity infrastructure gives federal agencies a way to strengthen program integrity without choosing between a better experience and stronger security, reducing unnecessary friction for the people they serve while giving agencies greater confidence at critical moments.
Privacy and control as part of the design
Transparency and choice are built into the CLEAR experience. People can see the information CLEAR is requesting, how it will be used, and what the VA will receive. They explicitly consent before verification, and only the information each individual authorizes is provided to the VA.
During the VA.gov sign-in process, CLEAR helps verify a person’s identity so they can securely access their account. CLEAR does not receive or access a Veteran’s health information or medical records, and does not sell biometric or sensitive personal data.
Participation in CLEAR is always optional. Veterans can sign in using another method if they prefer.
The first step matters
Through its work with Medicare.gov and now the VA, CLEAR continues to extend the identity expertise it built at the airport to the government services people rely on.
Across federal programs, a trusted sign-in can connect people to care, benefits, records, and other essential services while giving agencies greater confidence that the person accessing those services is who they claim to be.
CLEAR is proud to help make that first step simpler and more secure at VA.gov. Explore how we’re giving agencies and civilians greater confidence.
