"What we are talking about is enhancing online security and privacy, and reducing and perhaps even eliminating the need to memorize a dozen passwords, through creation and use of more trusted digital identities."
Is this really a problem that government needs to solve?
I always thought this will happen anyway with ipv6, everyone will get his unique ip and then it will be added to our endless number list we carry around today. (social number etc.)
I think you need to explain a bit more. I can guess where you're going, but a cursory glance at the article does not say what I thought it would say. The title is pure linkbait. This seems nothing more than a public effort to galvanize the private sector into accomplishing what OpenID, Open Social, etc, tried to do. Now of course, the article is very lacking on technical details, so it could be much, much more malicious. But you haven't given any credible information to help explain why.