Government-Wide Facial Recognition Software Usage is Under the Microscope.

Following the success of a recent effort to have the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scrap its facial recognition program, privacy advocates are now targeting other agencies that employ the technology. Public interest groups and legislators from both parties reacted angrily to reports last month that the IRS required people to upload selfies for an identity verification program managed by ID.me. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) called on the IRS to end the program, while Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) sought a blanket prohibition on the IRS collecting biometric data. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Media Alliance have joined the chorus of public interest groups calling for the IRS to abandon its plan. Their advertising was a big hit. The IRS announced on February 7 that it will not utilize a third-party business to use face recognition to authenticate new…

Read More