“No biometric data — including facial recognition — will be required if taxpayers choose to authenticate their identity through a virtual interview,” the I.R.S. said in a statement.
Individual photos that have already been captured to create new accounts this tax season will be deleted from ID.me’s servers in the coming weeks. Any new selfies that are taken this year will not be stored on the servers, the I.R.S. said.
The uproar over the agency’s use of facial recognition is the latest challenge for the I.R.S., which is behind in processing more than 20 million 2020 tax returns, is coping with staffing shortages and remains short on funding. The pandemic has made tax season even more complicated than usual because the I.R.S. must process additional information related to direct stimulus checks to households, as well as advance payments of the child tax credit.
Republican lawmakers, who for years have criticized the agency and its ability to keep data confidential, called the facial recognition technology “intrusive.” Democrats have agreed, arguing that taxpayers should not have to sacrifice privacy for data security.
Proponents of facial recognition technology have noted that it is widely used in places such as airports. They argue that it is safer than providing websites with other identifying information, such as Social Security cards and other personal documents.