Feb. 10 (UPI) — Identity verification company ID.me said it will no longer require facial recognition for its services amid accuracy and privacy concerns.
The private contractor, which provides identity verification services to 30 states and 10 federal agencies, said in a statement late Tuesday that it will allow users to verify their identity in a video call with a human agent, rather than sending a “video selfie” to scan their face and search for identity theft or fraud.
“We have listened to the feedback about facial recognition and are making this important change, adding an option for users to verify directly with a human agent to ensure consumers have even more choice and control over their personal data,” ID.me CEO Blake Hall said.
Previously the company would require that users provide a selfie that would be matched with a photo document, such as a driver’s license, and would allow users to confirm their identity through video chat if that step failed.
Hall added that the company will also allow all users to delete their selfie video or photo beginning on March 1.
The announcement came after the Internal Revenue Service said it would “transition away” from facial recognition through ID.me as a requirement for taxpayers to access online accounts after the Treasury Department signed an $86 million two-year contract with the company last summer.
ID.me told The Washington Post that its technology has been used by 73 million people, with more than 145,000 new people joining each day.
Company officials also told the Post that only 10% of applicants had needed the video call option and that the company employed 966 agents to handle video chat verification nationwide. He did not, however, specify whether it would expand its workforce in response to the change.
ID.me on Tuesday said its selfie check “continues to be a critical tool in the fight against organized crime” but civil rights advocates have noted facial recognition is less accurate for people with darker skin tones.
Facial recognition technology has also faced bipartisan opposition from lawmakers in Congress.
On Tuesday, six Republican senators announced they were introducing a bill to ban the IRS from requiring taxpayers to submit facial scans or other biometric data.
A group of four Democrats on Wednesday also sent a letter to the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior and Justice calling on them to stop using facial recognition systems provided by companies such as Clearview AI.
“This technology utilizes a high level of surveillance that is often inconsistent with Americans’ right to privacy,” they wrote.
