Why will you soon have to scan your face to access your IRS tax information?
You will still be able to file your tax return the old-fashioned way, with paper documents sent via snail mail. But by this summer, anyone who wants to access records on the IRS website will be required to record a video of their face and send it to a third party, like ID.me.
The company uses scans of a person’s face as well as copies of identifying paperwork, like your driver's license or utility bill, to verify your identity. If there are issues, you have to join a live video call with one of the company’s representatives and hold up physical copies of personal documents to prove your face belongs to you.
According to experts, this is the largest expansion of facial recognition technology in the U.S. The IRS says the change will create a better user experience for taxpayers.
But privacy experts are raising red flags noting that ID.me’s service terms give the company the right to share your data with police, government and so-called select partners.
And this is just the beginning. Ten federal agencies have already announced they will expand their use of facial recognition technology in the next year.
Everyone from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to increase the use of facial scans.
And while the IRS assures Americans they do not need to use the technology to file taxes, critics warn that could change in the future.