IRS Will Soon Require Selfies for Online Access

[Dashinka 24,494]

8 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

1.  USCIS

2.  IRS

3.  USPS

4.  _____

No experience with the VA, so my list would be SSA, IRS, USCIS, USPS.

[Dashinka 24,494]

13 hours ago, jim_julian said:

Sounds like ID.me worked just fine for you ... but you ended with an emotional comment not based on any facts.  Relax people!  ID,me is fine.

I think you missed the part of losing most of Friday waiting in a variable queue with no satisfaction from this well oiled machine company.  Then 50 more minutes on Saturday.  This experience sounds very similar to the complaints others have shared on the BBB site.  Sure, internet reviews are questionable, but it is what it is and everyone has their opinions.  As I said before, it is a good thing you did not have to waste hours verifying yourself, or dealing with ID.me's customer service, or maybe you have, but it is not as big of a deal to waste that time for you, but others have and do not enjoy it.

[MrKo 60]

Good thing that more media is taking an interest in this issue

 

ID.me Lied About the Facial Recognition Tool it Sold to the IRS (Fight For The Future)

The IRS Needs to Stop Using ID.me's Face Recognition, Privacy Experts Warn (Gizmodo)

ID.me CEO backtracks on claims company doesn't use powerful facial recognition tech (Cyberscoop)

IRS wants to scan your face (The Washington Post)

 

[Dashinka 24,494]

2 hours ago, MrKo said:

Good thing that more media is taking an interest in this issue

 

ID.me Lied About the Facial Recognition Tool it Sold to the IRS (Fight For The Future)

The IRS Needs to Stop Using ID.me's Face Recognition, Privacy Experts Warn (Gizmodo)

ID.me CEO backtracks on claims company doesn't use powerful facial recognition tech (Cyberscoop)

IRS wants to scan your face (The Washington Post)

 

This is something I concern myself with (below).  Also, what does happen if someone is flagged as an identity thief and they are not.  Is that like being on the No Fly List?

 

 “More fundamentally, we have to ask why Americans should trust this company with our data if they are not honest about how our data is used. 

[MrKo 60]

There's a fresh update to this, according to Bloomberg, Treasury and the IRS are looking into alternatives to ID.me! 👍 
 

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

13 minutes ago, MrKo said:

There's a fresh update to this, according to Bloomberg, Treasury and the IRS are looking into alternatives to ID.me! 👍 
 

This is the sad part: It's been “impossible” for the IRS to develop its own cutting-edge identification program because of “the lack of funding for IRS modernization.” 😒

 

When it comes to cybersecurity, they will always rely on a private entity it seems. 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Allaboutwaiting

[PGA 240]

On 1/27/2022 at 7:29 AM, Dashinka said:

I think you missed the part of losing most of Friday waiting in a variable queue with no satisfaction from this well oiled machine company.  Then 50 more minutes on Saturday.  This experience sounds very similar to the complaints others have shared on the BBB site.  Sure, internet reviews are questionable, but it is what it is and everyone has their opinions.  As I said before, it is a good thing you did not have to waste hours verifying yourself, or dealing with ID.me's customer service, or maybe you have, but it is not as big of a deal to waste that time for you, but others have and do not enjoy it.

OK...so now I have been seeing the articles about this issue relating to the facial recognition software....and yes, they did that to me ....strangely, it was actually the very first thing they did....no going back now I guess..

[PGA 240]

On 1/27/2022 at 12:44 PM, Dashinka said:

This is something I concern myself with (below).  Also, what does happen if someone is flagged as an identity thief and they are not.  Is that like being on the No Fly List?

 

 “More fundamentally, we have to ask why Americans should trust this company with our data if they are not honest about how our data is used. 

Don't worry! As long as your not white and a Republican, you should be ok....😁

Just now, PGA said:

Don't worry! As long as your not white and a Republican, you should be ok....😁

I'm screwed....😐

[mjoyceb 17]

On 1/21/2022 at 1:11 PM, yuna628 said:

Oh yeah absolutely, there's tons of concerns here. Apparently the SSA has been using this system too? State entities have also been using it for unemployment benefits. Oh boy... I feel for people having to go through this. Pretty bonkers.

Oh I can confirm. They call MySocialSecurity accounts made on SSA.gov/socialsecurity.gov before Sept 18th, 2021"legacy accounts." Plus ID.Me does not have any helpful instructions on how to even use their system, which makes it difficult for seniors and people with disabilities to access their information especially now with the SSA offices closed during a pandemic (firsthand experience makes it a headache, and SSA is the slowest of the government offices to start with).

[jim_julian 26]

14 minutes ago, mjoyceb said:

ID.Me does not have any helpful instructions on how to even use their system, which makes it difficult for seniors and people with disabilities.

I found it very easy to create an account and get my identity verified at the ripe old age of 78. 

[mjoyceb 17]

1 minute ago, jim_julian said:

I found it very easy to create an account and get my identity verified at the ripe old age of 78. 

I'm very happy for you, but I work for Medicare, and every day I'm at work I get at least five calls where I need to walk people through the ID.Me portion of the SSA site. The thing is, Medicare isn't actually under the SSA, it's under DHHS. DHHS higher-ups have no idea how to use ID.Me so we don't have any instructions to guide these callers through it. And what's more, we grunts don't even have access to ID.Me and related websites while at work except for the Medicare website. 🙃

[RandyW 149]

The Scientific American weighs in, mostly about the facial recognition involved, but also about "too many unknowns for comfort" about ID.me and their relationship with the government.

Facial Recognition Plan from IRS Raises Big Concerns
Government agencies are tapping a facial recognition company to prove you’re you

Credit: Westend61/Getty Images

[jim_julian 26]

Biometric security is positive thing.  Issues that it will help with are scammers stealing IRS refunds and those making false unemployment claims; these are serious problems.  This lefty woke article raises concerns that facial recognition software has a larger error rate on African American faces and asks about people who change their gender identity ... give me a break!  Relax people and accept ID.me as a good thing.

[RandyW 149]

10 hours ago, jim_julian said:

Biometric security is positive thing.  Issues that it will help with are scammers stealing IRS refunds and those making false unemployment claims; these are serious problems.  This lefty woke article raises concerns that facial recognition software has a larger error rate on African American faces and asks about people who change their gender identity ... give me a break!  Relax people and accept ID.me as a good thing.

 

Living in China, I've had plenty of issues in jumping through hoops in order to maintain access to my American accounts. My bank even temporarily canceled our account when she didn't respond to a letter they claimed to have sent to her (I'm guessing to her mother's address) to verify where she lives. Getting online access to my IRS account was another hoop to jump through. The 2 factor authorization schemes are stilling going through some teething issues.

 

Facial recognition and fingerprint sensors are handy to use for quick access on your cell phone, but are NOT secure for general use - if I were to lose my cell phone, I would need to change passwords on any account which relies on the fingerprint sensor. The "lefty woke" article simply points this out.

 

But, yes, it's getting easier now to jump through those hoops. I have an Anveo cell phone number which BofA can send SMS messages to for verification, and I expect to end up buying a FIDO device (available through Amazon) for other 2FA schemes.

[RandyW 149]

I can only hope that when the time comes to set up my ID.me account, that I won't have to go through the "personal touch" customer service hoop. Fortunately, I've maintain enough of a footprint in the U.S. that that MAY not be a problem. Except for that aspect of it, it sounds pretty much like any other 2FA scheme I've come across.