US lawmakers urge FTC to probe ID.me facial-recognition claims

American senators urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to review the activities of ID.me. Lawmakers suggested that the firm misled the public about the capabilities of its facial recognition system.

I’m urging the FTC to investigate whether https://t.co/3eARxS4PWr lied to consumers and government agencies about its facial recognition software. Americans shouldn’t have to compromise their privacy to access essential government services. https://t.co/l0C1u1VaZ2

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) May 18, 2022

The group drew attention to statements by ID.me chief executive Blake Hall that the company allegedly does not use ‘one-to-many’ facial recognition. It later emerged that during registration the system cross-checks the user’s photo against the entire database ‘to prevent identity theft’.

“Americans have a particular reason to worry about the difference between these two types of facial recognition,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter.

According to them, using such an approach means that millions could be subjected to biometric identification scans using a method that ID.me itself has acknowledged as problematic.

“False matches related to ‘one-to-many’ recognition could lead to wrongful denials of essential services for weeks or even months while people seek to have their cases reconsidered,” the senators added.

ID.me declined to comment on the concerns raised in the letter. Instead, the company pointed to its track record of preventing unemployment fraud.

“Our service played a decisive role in stopping this attack in more than 20 states,” the company said in a statement.

ID.me added that it expects to continue working with government agencies “to clear up any misunderstandings”.

Earlier this year, the company acknowledged the use of a ‘one-to-many’ approach in facial recognition.

In February, the senators urged the IRS not to use ID.me’s system.

In the same month, the agency declined to implement the company’s facial-recognition system.

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