London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

To access their tax returns, Americans will soon need to submit facial recognition videos as a digital ID (but not for voting...)

To access their tax returns, Americans will soon need to submit facial recognition videos as a digital ID (but not for voting...)

Good news: A new kind of digital identification, requiring the user to submit their personal data to (and that's the bad news) a private company in Virginia – including (that's great news) a live video of their face from their cell phone or computer webcam – will be the only way Americans can create an account with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) starting by the summer of 2022. If the election in USA will learn from the IRS and will adopt such a bio metric method as a digital ID for voters, 49% of the Americans and 99% of the rest of the world will restore their broken trust in the US election.
Old log-in credentials will stop working later this year, and the only way to log into irs.gov will be by using ID.me, an online identity verification service run by a company in McLean, Virginia, just outside the Capital Beltway. This is according to investigative journalist Brian Krebs, who went through the procedure of creating an account for himself this week.

“The service requires applicants to supply a great deal more information than typically requested for online verification schemes, such as scans of their driver’s license or other government-issued ID, copies of utility or insurance bills, and details about their mobile phone service,” Krebs wrote.

The phone verification requires a mobile or landline number, no voice-over-IP services like Skype. In Krebs’s case, the verification process stalled, requiring a live chat – and a note he would have to wait for three and a half hours for someone to contact him.

Apparently, more than half of US states already use ID.me credentials to identify fraudulent benefits applications. The private company told Krebs it had around 64 million users, with “roughly 145,000” signing up every day.

Though his sign-up was not smooth, Krebs said getting an account of this kind “will probably be needed at some point to manage your relationship with the federal government and/or your state.”

After his revelation was reported by the outlet ZeroHedge on Thursday, the story caught the ear of some members of Congress. “The IRS are now trying to require facial recognition to view your tax returns. This is America, not China,” said Congressman Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican.

The tax authority is not the first government agency to steer citizens toward ID.me, though the Social Security Administration – another entity Americans are basically mandated to deal with – also allows the use of Login.gov, a government-provided identity service and ID.me’s chief competitor.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×