Facial recognition will soon be optional for government agencies using ID.me

The id verification firm ID.me has introduced that it will make facial recognition verification optional for public sector government companions.The Virginia-based firm just lately made headlines after the IRS revealed its plans to require US taxpayers to submit a video selfie with a view to create an account on its web site. However, following backlash from residents, privateness advocates and lawmakers, the government company has since backtracked on these plans.

In a press launch, founder and CEO of ID.me, Blake Hall defined that the corporate will now present public sector staff working for the government with a brand new choice to confirm their identities, saying:“We have listened to the feedback about facial recognition and are making this important change, adding an option for users to verify directly with a human agent to ensure consumers have even more choice and control over their personal data.”

Not a biometrics firm

ID.me will now give government company staff the choice to confirm their id with an skilled human agent versus having to submit a video selfie.At the identical time, starting on March 1, all the firm's customers will be capable of delete their video selfies or photographs. This is nice information as a result of the truth that if ID.me have been to fall sufferer to an information breach and even undergo a knowledge leak, staff who used its id verification service may be at excessive threat of id theft as cybercriminals would have entry to a substantial amount of their private data.In its press launch, ID.me additionally identified that it's an id verification firm and never a biometrics firm. So far, the corporate's educated brokers have already verified the identities of over 3m Americans together with the unbanked, homeless and worldwide customers. During the pandemic, regulation enforcement and government agencies additionally employed ID.me's providers to forestall criminals from committing unemployment fraud.While the IRS has dropped its plans to implement id verification for US taxpayers, the government company may reverse course sooner or later.Via Gizmodo