I.R.S. Will Allow Taxpayers to Forgo Facial Recognition Amid Blowback
The New York Times
The agency, dealing with controversy over its decision to use facial recognition software, said it would allow taxpayers to authenticate their accounts with a live, virtual interview.
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service said on Monday that it would allow taxpayers to opt out of using facial recognition technology to gain access to their online accounts and would shift to an entirely different identity verification system next year as the agency tries to alleviate backlash over its use of biometric data.
The decision came after the I.R.S. said this month that it would “transition away” from using a third-party service, ID.me, to help authenticate people creating online accounts by using facial recognition to verify their identity.
The I.R.S. adopted the technology as a way to enhance the security of taxpayer information and avoid data leaks, which have been a growing concern among lawmakers. But activist groups and lawmakers from both parties expressed alarm, saying that the use of video “selfies” to verify accounts was an invasion of privacy.
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