The IRS recently canceled plans to use ID.me’s facial recognition to verify identities. Now we need other agencies to follow suit.
After activists, lawmakers, and privacy experts sounded the alarm, the IRS announced it will abandon plans to use ID.me’s facial recognition tool to verify taxpayers’ identity.
But other Federal agencies, including Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration, as well as 30 state unemployment offices, still use ID.me. Sign the petition demanding an immediate end to these contracts and a full investigation into the Federal government’s use of facial recognition.
We’ve already seen the destructive results of facial recognition technology like ID.me’s playing out in real time, from police using it to track Black Lives Matter protesters, to wrongful arrests, to manipulative marketing. The new IRS system would have expanded the scope of these harms and impact the lives of millions more people.
Whether it’s a collection of selfies, drivers licenses, or images from social media accounts, building databases of sensitive personal information – including faces, voice recordings, fingerprints, and other forms of biometric data – represents one of the largest threats to our safety in the digital age.
This technology is not safe for any Federal agency or state government. We must keep up the pressure to ensure that all government agencies end the use of of facial recognition and biometric surveillance technology. Sign the petition and send a message to your lawmakers today.
