Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of A New Approval of Information Collection
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The FAA is asking people what they think about how they collect information to make sure a person is who they say they are when they want to use U.S. Government websites. They want to know if there's a better way to do this or if it's causing any problems.
Summary AI
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeks public comments on revising an information collection process under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This process involves collecting identity-related information from individuals who request access to U.S. Federal Government web applications to verify their identity and create a user account. The FAA emphasizes the importance of public feedback on whether this information collection is necessary, its accuracy, and possible ways to enhance or simplify it. Comments should be submitted by June 16, 2025, through various means, including electronically, by mail, or fax.
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for revision of a currently approved collection. The collection requires responses to questions regarding an individual's identity in order to gain access to U.S. Federal Government web applications. The information to be collected is used to verify the requestor's identity and create a user account.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document in focus is a notice from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeking public comments on revising an information collection process. This process is meant to verify the identities of individuals who desire access to U.S. Federal Government web applications. The FAA aims to ensure that the identity verification process is efficient and effective, while also seeking insights on the necessity and accuracy of this data collection.
General Summary
This document, published by the FAA, invites public comments concerning their intention to revise an information collection process. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the FAA aims to gather responses from individuals to verify their identity for access to web applications. Interested parties are encouraged to submit feedback by June 16, 2025, through electronic means, mail, or fax. The FAA underscores the value of this collection for their operations and the significance of public involvement in refining this process.
Significant Issues and Concerns
Several issues arise upon reviewing the document:
Verification Process Clarity: The document lacks detailed information on how the FAA formulates and matches identification questions against various data sources such as public records or credit reporting bureaus. This lack of detail could generate concerns about privacy and data security.
Typographical and Data Representation Errors: The document lists the total annual burden as 0.07 hours, which seems incorrect. Typically, such figures are associated with the average burden per response, indicating possible errors in representing the total annual burden. This inconsistency requires clarification for accurate calculation of the process's demands.
Limited Accessibility for Comment Submission: There are no alternative methods mentioned for submitting comments, which might pose accessibility challenges for certain individuals without electronic, mail, or fax access.
Insufficient Data on Expected Usage: The document does not estimate the number of uncredentialed users anticipated to request access. Providing such estimates would assist in evaluating the process's scope and the resources necessary for handling these requests.
Potential Public Impact
The process described could impact the general public by ensuring that access to government web applications is secure and streamlined. It suggests that individuals who do not currently have credentials need to undertake a verification process, which might deter some users if perceived as cumbersome or invasive.
Impact on Stakeholders
Positive Impacts: For stakeholders involved in security and data protection within the FAA and other agencies, the revised information collection process might enhance security protocol efficacy. Ensuring that only verified users access government resources could minimize data breaches and unauthorized usage.
Negative Impacts: Uncredentialed users or those with privacy concerns may find the process invasive or cumbersome. Should the verification mechanism integrate sensitive data checks, this demographic might feel apprehensive about the privacy of their information.
Overall, while the FAA's initiative could provide a necessary safeguard for accessing federal web services, it also prompts important discussions about balancing security, efficiency, and user privacy. Public feedback will be essential in shaping a process that adequately addresses these dynamics.
Issues
• The document lacks detail on the process of verification, particularly on how exactly the identification questions are generated and matched against sources like public records and credit reporting bureaus, which could raise privacy and data security concerns.
• The estimated total annual burden is noted as 0.07 hours (~4 minutes), which appears to be a typographical error, as this number typically represents the average burden per response and not the annual total across all respondents. The text should be clarified to reflect the correct total annual burden for all expected respondents.
• The language does not specify any alternative methods for providing comments other than electronically, by mail, or by fax, which might limit accessibility for some individuals.
• The document does not provide any estimate or information on how many uncredentialed users are expected to request access, which makes it difficult to assess the full impact and resource allocation for managing these requests.