Making Identity Verification Easier and More Accessible

Published: October 14, 2025

We’re committed to providing Californians with easier and faster access to the benefits they need — when they need them most. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new addition to our identity verification tools: Socure, a leader in digital identity verification and fraud prevention. They’re trusted by over 3,000 organizations, including more than 60 in the public-sector.

Why This Matters

Verifying your identity in your preferred language is a key step in applying for unemployment, disability, and Paid Family Leave benefits. It helps us ensure your information is secure, safeguards public funds, and delivers benefit payments quickly to hardworking Californians.

But we also know the process hasn’t always been as smooth as it could be. We heard you, and we’ve made improvements.

A Simpler, Smoother Experience

Now, identity verification starts directly inside the myEDD portal to online services using Socure’s technology. That means no more switching between websites or logging into multiple accounts. For most users, the process will be seamless, fast, and automatic.

In a small number of cases, users will be guided through our other trusted partner, ID.me, to upload documents and take a “selfie” or join a video call to complete the process. And even then, your application is never automatically denied. If identity verification isn’t successful through either system, customers can always apply by paper and our staff will manually review the case to make a final decision. That way, real people — not automated systems — are in charge of important outcomes.

Rolling It Out in a Phased Approach

We began rolling out Socure in August 2025 with a pilot group of unemployment benefit customers. This phased approach allows us to test and improve the customer experience before making it available across all EDD benefit programs.

As we continue to expand the rollout, more users will benefit from faster verifications and fewer delays.

Keeping Access Fair

We need modern tools to stay ahead of sophisticated threats from identity thieves, AI-generated documents, and phishing scams.

Socure’s layered approach doesn’t just rely on one piece of data — it checks multiple signals in real time, such as device type, behavior, and geolocation. This helps spot suspicious activity while letting real users through with just the necessary steps.

Using advanced machine learning and a wide variety of data sources, Socure can instantly verify most users based on their name, address, phone number, email, and more. This makes the process faster and more inclusive for everyone — especially those from underrepresented, unbanked, or harder-to-verify communities.

Your Privacy Matters

We know that your personal information is sensitive and we take your privacy seriously. Our tools follow strict data protection standards, including certifications like StateRAMP, FedRAMP, and SOC 2 compliance. They use data only for verification purposes and do not share it with third parties for marketing or unrelated activities.

If you ever suspect identity fraud or misuse of your personal information, please report it to us right away at Fight Fraud.

What’s Next?

Adding Socure is just one step in our broader effort to modernize how we serve Californians. As we move forward, we’ll continue to listen to your feedback and make changes that prioritize transparency, security, and ease of use.

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