IRS Shuts off ID.me Face Recognition Startup amid Controversies

IRS Shuts off ID.me Face Recognition Startup amid Controversies
(photo by Geraldshields11 on wiki commons)

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stated on Monday that it will retire from utilizing ID.me.

ID.me is a face recognition startup with which it had collaborated to authenticate online accounts.

Facial recognition technology has been shown to be less accurate. For people with darker-skinned features, the government’s cooperation with the corporation has been highly condemned. 

Some individuals were also concerned about the security implications of a private firm. Some are collecting so much information about people’s faces and sharing it with the government.

Despite the fact that ID.me does not sell personal information to other companies, it does reserve the right to share data with law enforcement and other government organizations, based on the written report published by the CNET.com site. 

In addition, there are concerns that the system frequently misidentifies women and people of color, as well as non-gender-conforming persons. The necessity for a smartphone or webcam-enabled computer puts economically poor Americans, seniors, and other groups at a disadvantage.

ID.me Controversy

The IRS has abruptly changed direction, announcing that it would no longer use third-party face recognition to verify online tax accounts. On Monday morning, Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the IRS seeking a reversal of direction. Senator Ron Wyden’s remarks stressed that the IRS cannot solve the problem of digital identification. They advise the government agencies to wait for the advancement of face recognition technology before deciding to use it.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stated that they are aware of the issues expressed. According to IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, everyone should be confident in the security of their personal information, based on the news reported by the Protocol.com site. 

After completing the process to create an online IRS account, some users have received an error code 2001 with the message “A condition has been identified that is preventing your access to this service.” Others have reported that the problem has been resolved over time, and the IRS has responded to the question on its website.

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