ID.me, the verification service that most U.S. states turned to during the pandemic to confirm the identity of people applying for unemployment aid, attracted public scrutiny this month when it was revealed that the Internal Revenue Service would start requiring anyone wanting to check their tax information online to register for an account with the private company.
The IRS move has sparked outrage among civil liberties advocates and ordinary taxpayers over concerns that the system — which requires users to upload their ID and submit a selfie or video chat with an agent — could expose troves of personal information to hackers. Some lawmakers also expressed reservations, with Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon saying he is “very disturbed” by the IRS’ plan. The agency is paying $86 million on the contract.
Blake Hall, ID.me’s founder and CEO, sees it differently. In an interview with CBS MoneyWatch, he described the company’s verification technology as both more inclusive than other identification options — many of which won’t verify anyone who lacks a credit report, for instance — and more secure.
“What we’re doing is simply the digital equivalent of what every American does to open up a bank account,” Hall said.
In Hall’s view, the IRS is under assault from burgeoning criminal gangs. ID.me has already stopped would-be fraud in “tens of thousands” of cases, he said.
Over a Zoom interview, Hall shared images of several would-be fraudsters who he…
