The Treasury Department is reviewing the Internal Revenue Service’s use of ID.me to access its website, according to . A department official said agencies were exploring alternatives to the controversial facial recognition software, though that official did not specifically cite privacy concerns surrounding ID.me for decision.
“The IRS is constantly looking for ways to make the filing process safer,” said Treasury spokeswoman Alexandra LaManna. Bloomberg. “We believe in the importance of protecting taxpayers’ privacy, while at the same time making sure criminals can’t access taxpayers’ accounts.”
Citing a “lack of funding to modernize the IRS,” LaManna also said the agency “wasn’t able to” develop its own in-house identification solution, and noted that US taxpayers are not required to online tax return. At the end of last year, the IRS individuals use ID.me to access certain sections of its website, including those related to services such as Rescue Plan USA. Starting this summer, the agency will also require people to register with ID.me before they can file their taxes online. It’s a process that requires taxpayers to provide their government ID, a copy of their utility bill, and a selfie video to the Virginia-based company.
The decision by the Ministry of Finance to re-evaluate the use of ID.me was made the same week that the company . Blake Hall, CEO of ID.me, said the company uses technology to verify selfies tied to government programs that are frequently targeted by organized crime elements. pepper. Hall released the statement after previously stating that the company is not taking a “more complex and problematic” one-to-many approach.
Privacy advocates have criticized both approaches. Research shows that most facial recognition systems struggle to identify people with darker skin tones. Experts have also voiced concerns about the security risks of storing biometric data.
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