IRS Will Soon Require Selfies for Online Access

[MrKo 60]

I read this article yesterday:

 

Quote

 

[...]

 

A log of complaints for California’s Employment Development Department (EDD), which signed up with ID.me in September 2020, details issues ranging from a transgender person being blocked from accessing benefits because the gender on their driver’s license didn’t match their passport to an applicant who went through ID.me’s verification process only to find their claim still on hold six weeks later. In a January 2021 letter to the EDD, California state Senator Anthony Portantino complained that his staff had been “inundated with urgent pleas” from constituents whose benefits were on hold as a result of problems with ID.me. “This recent purge has put thousands of legitimate claims in limbo, with no instructions for how to get out of ‘ID verification jail,’ ” Portantino wrote.

Some of these problems can be traced back to ID.me's facial recognition AI, which has yet to be independently tested, despite being the only option for many people seeking access to their unemployment benefits or tax information. There has been some sort of testing, but not with any results ID.me is willing to share with the public.

Hall says the company isn’t running images through a preexisting database, the way law enforcement does, and that it selects facial-recognition vendors that comply with federal standards, though he wouldn’t name them. The company also says ID.me put its facial-recognition software through two separate tests for racial bias in 2021 and found no evidence of discrimination.

And CEO Blake Hall continues to insist ID.me is stopping billions of dollars of unemployment and tax fraud, even though it would appear that a lot of what Hall considers to be thwarted fraud may just be the inadvertent thwarting of legit benefits claimants.

For example, between Jan. 28 and March 8, 2021, ID.me had 654,292 users start its verification process in California, according to data Hall provided. Just half of those users completed ID.me’s checks. Hall argues that any users who didn’t complete the process were clearly scammers.

[...]

On Nov. 17, 2020, for example, ID.me reported that the prior week, 101,050 people in California attempted to verify their identities with ID.me. Of those, just 40% succeeded. But you could see the frustrations unemployed workers and their advocates complain about playing out in the data: Almost a quarter of the people ID.me dealt with in California that week tried to get on a video call with a company rep, but only 10% of that group succeeded. More than 7,000 people also abandoned the ID.me process by either closing their browser midway through or having their session time out. Both situations are as easily attributable to tech glitches as fraud.

This isn't very comforting. ID.me's CEO seems willing to declare failures of the company's system as victories against fraudsters. This unwillingness to even consider the possibility the system has flaws that might separate users from benefits or tax information isn't something you want to see in someone running a company that has already nailed down more than half the country's unemployment payments business. Becoming the point of entry for IRS accounts will just make local issues national issues.

It's also not exactly comforting that one company holds so much biometric and personal data. That makes it a tempting target for malicious hackers, especially now that it's also home to Internal Revenue Service data. It's going to make people start asking for some sort of biometric data federalism -- one that keeps the federal government from intermingling its sensitive info with state data stashes by using the same vendor to collect ID verification info.

Presumably, ID.me will get better at what it does. And it does appear to be doing everything it can to secure the information it's collecting on behalf of several government agencies. But it's being led by a CEO who is unwilling to allow independent inspection of its AI, who built his company's business on a questionable assertion about pandemic-related benefits fraud, and who has an alarming tendency to blame system issues on end users or to portray ID.me's failures as successful direct hits on benefits fraud.

That's a lot of buck-passing for someone who is being entrusted with the financial, personal, and biometric information of millions of Americans. And it suggests if the ever really hits the fan, the CEO is going to ghost a bunch of taxpayers who were never given any input or options when it comes to accessing benefits that are rightfully theirs.

 

 

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

3 hours ago, jim_julian said:

My friends, I give up.  I have presented factual information as well as my own experience with ID.me.  A few of you continue to reject ID.me based on, in my opinion, emotional reasons, unwarranted assumptions and faulty logic. We have wasted enough bandwidth on this manufactured "issue".  I will cease replying to frivolous posts in this thread.

Put your big boy britches on and hang out here, it's kind of fun!  But you can't be the sensitive type, those never last very long here.

 

As to the bold part, you are old and wise enough to realize that your opinion, while right and perfect for YOU, is just an opinion.  Just because you are in the minority on this particular topic does not in any way mean that you are wrong, of course.  Let's give it a year or two and see what happens, eh?  Hopefully you are right and this turns out to be a big nothing sammich.  Wouldn't be the first one of those we've all taken part in here in CEHST.

Nothing wrong with dissenting opinions.  Glad your experience with ID.me has been good up til now.  Let's hope for all our sakes' that it remains that way while the owner of the service gets richer.

Edited January 25, 2022 by LIBrty4all

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

4 hours ago, seekingthetruth said:

And it is not just IRS.  I was Googling ID.me it is scary how many Federal and State agencies are already using it.

 

They say on their website that they do not retain most of the data you submit during the verification process.  I don't think that makes me feel better because they have to keep some data.  If they ever had a big data breach, there could be huge short and long term ramifications!

 

3 hours ago, Dashinka said:

Add to that the potential for vital personal information to be used for other purposes, or be exposed with the use of a 3rd Party company vetted by some unnamed federal bureaucrat and no possible out (makes sense coming from a career bureaucrat).  It looks like you have much more confidence in the federal bureaucracy than I or many others do, but to each their own.

 

I for one and glad you have not had a bad experience with this company dealing with the VA, as companies and processes are expanded to much larger populations and dealing with additional sensitive data, who knows how smoothly this will go.  Heck, we are talking about the IRS here. 

One of the most concerning things about identity theft is that people do not find out about it immediately but years later -and the consequences can be nefarious-.

So some can actually have a good experience, trust this company and think everything is fine when it is not -which could very well be the case of the forum member that so far has wholeheartedly defended IDme-.

 

On a previous post I shared the way other countries deal with the online access to tax related accounts. There are SO MANY options way less convoluted and way more secure than what IRS is doing.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Allaboutwaiting

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

5 hours ago, LIBrty4all said:

Let's give it a year or two and see what happens, eh? 

I'm actually on the fence for the whole issue, but leaning against ID.me.  Why?  If the government keeps ID checking internal, they have a reputation for mucking things up.  In general, they are probably using 3rd party contractors for IT projects anyway.  In general, the private sector can usually do a job better than the government.

 

However, ID.me has many concerns, well noted above, and on the surface, it all seems very rushed.

 

For comparison and discussion.  In 2015 I applied for NZ tourist visas for my wife and step daughter.  It was a requirement to set up a RealMe account. I think we were only required to set up a RealMe account of the lowest level.

 

I was just looking at RealMe.

 

About us

RealMe® is managed by the Department of Internal Affairs.  It was launched in 2013 to make it easier for people and organisations to get things done online securely.

 

So they are managed by the government, but RealMe is used by private businesses as well.

 

https://www.realme.govt.nz/where-to-use-realme/

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

3 hours ago, seekingthetruth said:

I'm actually on the fence for the whole issue, but leaning against ID.me.  Why?  If the government keeps ID checking internal, they have a reputation for mucking things up.  In general, they are probably using 3rd party contractors for IT projects anyway.  In general, the private sector can usually do a job better than the government.

 

However, ID.me has many concerns, well noted above, and on the surface, it all seems very rushed.

 

For comparison and discussion.  In 2015 I applied for NZ tourist visas for my wife and step daughter.  It was a requirement to set up a RealMe account. I think we were only required to set up a RealMe account of the lowest level.

 

I was just looking at RealMe.

 

About us

RealMe® is managed by the Department of Internal Affairs.  It was launched in 2013 to make it easier for people and organisations to get things done online securely.

 

So they are managed by the government, but RealMe is used by private businesses as well.

 

https://www.realme.govt.nz/where-to-use-realme/

You are not alone.

I'd love to believe that a veteran-owned business is going to always try to do the right thing, but all veterans are NOT created equal.  (See also: Jeffrey Dahmer)

[PGA 240]

On 1/24/2022 at 9:59 PM, seekingthetruth said:

Funny stuff!  I was mocking the definitions of racist that are thrown out by the left.  E.g., requiring voter id is racist.  And if you really boil it down, using their definition, not mine, ID.me is racist.  If would impact the same people that voter id impacts, if you think the leftist claims are valid.

 

Drive this into politics?  It is politics.  The IRS is political.  The government handing all of your personal details to a private 3rd party contractor is political.  Privacy is political.

 

I fight it because of the many concerns brought up.  And for me personally, it seems unlikely that I will be able to use ID.me, as a U.S. citizen living overseas.  I could be wrong but according to the report by PGA on the first page of this topic, it is unlikely.

 

OK...so here is my update from that point. As I mentioned, I was waiting (Friday) in some que for several hours which would decrease and then increase in time so I finally I gave up and quit, "losing my place" in line. Saturday, at about 4am I got an email message saying my documents had been reviewed and to join for a meeting LOL. 

 

At about 10am on Saturday I clicked on the link in the email and waited about 50 minutes to speak with the representative. I was having doubts! but since I already uploaded all of my personal documents the night before I figured there was no going back now... the process was pretty painless. I talked to some strange, but friendly young lady who went through the process with me and verified me at the end.  My biggest wonderment was, during the process, she asked for the last 4 digits of my SS#, but then I had to show her my full social security card through the camera as well as my Florida drivers license.

 

Now, living overseas, I'm not sure....I live abroad but I, over the years, have sort of adapted to the situations when it comes to banking, phones, etc (and found ways around it) ... I'm guessing a google voice # may not work (I use GV myself mostly) but it maybe worth a shot. To be clear, on Friday, I uploaded my passport, birth certificate, SS card and drivers license. I do continue to "maintain residency" in Florida and, during the interview the two items they wanted to see in the chat were my SS card and my Driver's license. 

 

That said, as soon as I ended the chat, I thought to myself that I will be patiently waiting for the headlines of the "Gigantic Data Breach at ID.ME Exposes Data of Millions" but hey, we'll get free access to our credit reports...maybe 😁

[jim_julian 26]

23 minutes ago, PGA said:

OK...so here is my update from that point. As I mentioned, I was waiting (Friday) in some que for several hours which would decrease and then increase in time so I finally I gave up and quit, "losing my place" in line. Saturday, at about 4am I got an email message saying my documents had been reviewed and to join for a meeting LOL. 

 

At about 10am on Saturday I clicked on the link in the email and waited about 50 minutes to speak with the representative. I was having doubts! but since I already uploaded all of my personal documents the night before I figured there was no going back now... the process was pretty painless. I talked to some strange, but friendly young lady who went through the process with me and verified me at the end.  My biggest wonderment was, during the process, she asked for the last 4 digits of my SS#, but then I had to show her my full social security card through the camera as well as my Florida drivers license.

 

Now, living overseas, I'm not sure....I live abroad but I, over the years, have sort of adapted to the situations when it comes to banking, phones, etc (and found ways around it) ... I'm guessing a google voice # may not work (I use GV myself mostly) but it maybe worth a shot. To be clear, on Friday, I uploaded my passport, birth certificate, SS card and drivers license. I do continue to "maintain residency" in Florida and, during the interview the two items they wanted to see in the chat were my SS card and my Driver's license. 

 

That said, as soon as I ended the chat, I thought to myself that I will be patiently waiting for the headlines of the "Gigantic Data Breach at ID.ME Exposes Data of Millions" but hey, we'll get free access to our credit reports...maybe 😁

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.

[PGA 240]

56 minutes 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.

LOL....sorry, I agree with the other poster on this....do you have some sort of investment/stock ownership in this company?

[jim_julian 26]

Nope, just trying to steer this topic back to facts as I am very grateful for VJ and all they have done to help us.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

3 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.

Spending 50 minutes of my time on the phone trying to prove to some stranger that I am who I claim is NOT my idea of any system "working just fine".

When I created my SSA, IRS, banking (many of them), recent vehicle purchase, Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy (etc. etc. etc.) accounts, it was much easier.  The only process I think that has been tougher was buying a house or obtaining a foreign spouse.

Again, I am glad you love ID.me.  Hopefully you'll have as much success with the IRS and SSA as you have had with the VA (which is a pretty useless entity in and of itself).

[jim_julian 26]

OMG ... you idiots have sucked me in again.

 

"50 minutes of your time"  "some stranger"  who did you expect to talk to? ... a friend from church??

The commercial accounts you cite are MUCH less secure than an ID.me account.

I find it shocking that you insult the VA medical care program.  Since President Trump overhauled the VA medical program it  has been outstanding .... shame on you.

[TBoneTX 45,308]

Debate is fine; name-calling isn't, please.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

34 minutes ago, jim_julian said:

OMG ... you idiots have sucked me in again.

 

"50 minutes of your time"  "some stranger"  who did you expect to talk to? ... a friend from church??

The commercial accounts you cite are MUCH less secure than an ID.me account.

I find it shocking that you insult the VA medical care program.  Since President Trump overhauled the VA medical program it  has been outstanding .... shame on you.

Again, you have your opinions on systems, and others have theirs.  In my life span, dealing with many levels of bureaucracies on federal as well as state levels, the VA is hands down THE WORST I have ever had to deal with.  And no, you cannot shame me for my experiences.

[TBoneTX 45,308]

3 minutes ago, LIBrty4all said:

THE WORST I have ever had to deal with.

1.  USCIS

2.  IRS

3.  USPS

4.  _____

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

2 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

1.  USCIS

2.  IRS

3.  USPS

4.  _____

The VA makes USCIS look like a well-oiled machine full of people who care about your case.