House lawmakers voice 'serious concerns' about facial recognition used by contractor ID.me
CNN
Two top House lawmakers on Thursday began probing ID.me, a company that uses facial recognition technology to verify identities for many state and federal agencies, into the "efficacy, privacy and security" of its services and products. The move, which comes months after the IRS halted a plan to require taxpayers to use ID.me when logging onto their accounts amid a privacy backlash, further ratchets up scrutiny of the service in Washington.
Carolyn B. Maloney, chair of the House Oversight Committee, and James E. Clyburn, chair of the House select subcommittee on the Coronavirus crisis, sent a letter to Blake Hall, CEO and founder of ID.me, asking for documents and information relating to the company's contracts with federal agencies and states.
The 10-page letter, which was first reported by The Washington Post, noted that a number of reports have "raised concerns about ID.me's performance on government contracts and the effectiveness of its products and services" and that users of ID.me have indicated long wait times to get their identities verified that range "from hours to weeks, as well as other roadblocks that have led to denied benefits."
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