The IRS will no longer require taxpayers to submit a facial recognition scan to access their taxes online following fierce backlash.
As previously reported by Human Events News, the IRS announced in January that they planned to require users to sign into the IRS website through an account with third-party firm ID.me and provide a government identification document with their photo, along with a selfie, to verify their identity.
The IRS first announced their partnership with the third-party company in November, arguing the agreement will “improve accessibility” and security for users.
“Identity verification is critical to protect taxpayers and their information. The IRS has been working hard to make improvements in this area, and this new verification process is designed to make IRS online applications as secure as possible for people,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said at the time.
Users were going to have to submit a selfie in order to access tax records, view or manage payment plans and/or access the Child Tax Credit Update Portal.
However, the agency announced Monday that they will no longer move forward with the plan, per the Daily Caller.
“The IRS takes taxpayer privacy and security seriously, and we understand the concerns that have been raised,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in the statement. “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.”
