08 February 2022

BI-PARTISAN BACKLASH: IRS stops requiring selfies | Ars Technica

Please Note (from an earlier post on this blog): Last week the Treasury Department had said it was "reviewing" the matter, but today's announcement is a big deal. It's rare to see a government agency move this fast, so kudos to Treasury/IRS for acting quickly (though, it can be argued that it never should have gotten this far in the first place). But also kudos to Wyden for helping make this happen as well. . .The transition announced yesterday does not interfere with the taxpayer's ability to file their return or pay taxes owed. During this period, the IRS will continue to accept tax filings, and it has no other impact on the current tax season. People should continue to file their taxes as they normally would.
-- Techdirt  IRS Says It Will Move Away From Requiring ID.me Facial Recognition

from the good-move dept

 
The IRS has been using the third-party system ID.me for facial recognition of taxpayers. Privacy and civil rights advocates and lawmakers from both major parties have objected to the system. The IRS wasn't demanding ID.me verification for filing tax returns but was requiring it for accessing related services, such as account information, applying for payment plans online, requesting transcripts, and the Child Tax Credit Update Portal.
A man using a smartphone to take a selfie. The illustration has lines extending from the phone to his face to indicate that facial recognition is being used.

IRS stops requiring selfies after facial recognition system is widely panned

IRS "will transition away from" ID.me selfie system after bipartisan backlash.

 

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Trying harder every day to stay "mellow"