Federal lawmakers joined with advocacy groups that argued requiring biometric information to access records online is a “creepy and disturbing strike” at privacy and security.

By Jessica Corbett  Published 2-7-2022 by Common Dreams.

Photo: Pixabay

After Democrats in both chambers of Congress added their voices to the growing chorus of opposition to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s plan to require the use of a private company’s facial recognition software to access various information online, Sen. Ron Wyden revealed Monday that the IRS intends to change course.

“This is big: The IRS has notified my office it plans to transition away from using facial recognition verification, as I requested earlier today,” tweeted the Oregon Democrat. “While this transition may take time, the administration recognizes that privacy and security are not mutually exclusive.” Continue reading →