The IRS will abandon a push to have some taxpayers use facial recognition software to identify themselves, the agency confirmed on Monday.
and a debate about how the government should use such technology, with critics warning of the risk that information collected could be used for other purposes.Subscribe for freeThe IRS had planned to have taxpayers provide documents and a video selfie to a third party company, ID.me, when conducting certain online interactions with the agency.
The transition will take place over the next few weeks and will not interfere with taxpayers' abilities to file their taxes and returns, it added.“The I.R.S. takes taxpayer privacy and security seriously, and we understand the concerns that have been raised,” said IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. “Everyone should feel comfortable with how their personal information is secured, and we are quickly pursuing short-term options that do not involve facial recognition," he added.
"I have long argued that Americans should not have to sacrifice their privacy for security,” Sen. Ron Wyden wrote in a to Rettig earlier Monday. "The government can treat Americans with respect and dignity while protecting against fraud and identity theft."from Axios' Ina Fried: Politicians and civil rights groups have raised concerns both about government use of facial ID tech broadly as well as specific issues related to ID.me.
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