The IRS is reversing course on its plans for using facial recognition technology to authenticate taxpayer identities, the agency announced Monday, Feb. 7.
The IRS initially planned to authenticate taxpayer identities through a third-party facial recognition software company beginning this summer. The authentication method is already used for some interactions with the IRS.
The plans to use facial recognition moving forward earlier raised security concerns for many interest groups and lawmakers.
Instead, the agency is considering authentication methods that do not involve facial recognition, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig stated in a press release.