I recently signed up and was actually impressed by the smoothness of the system. I did not face the same issue where my application stalled mid-process. I expected the application to get hung up...
I recently signed up and was actually impressed by the smoothness of the system. I did not face the same issue where my application stalled mid-process. I expected the application to get hung up when transferring the process to my phone for "selfie" verification, but it did not. AND the IRS sent me a letter in the mail to say my details were used to make an account. If this is the mark of the future interactions with the IRS, I'm rather optimistic.
I very much dislike that government services are being gated behind a private company. Especially since their terms of service contain the usual garbage now: Indemnification, mandatory...
I very much dislike that government services are being gated behind a private company. Especially since their terms of service contain the usual garbage now: Indemnification, mandatory arbitration, ever-changing privacy policy. Explicit usage of things like tracking pixels. Add it onto the pile of data that can be added to your aggregate profile for advertising and god knows what else. I envy the California residents that have the right to opt-out of a lot of this stuff. Funny how they don't make that option open to everyone... I wonder why.
Regarding sharing your biometric data (emphasis mine):
To other third parties where permitted by law, to enforce the Terms, to comply with legal obligations or applicable, to respond to legal process (such as a subpoena, warrant or civil discovery request), to cooperate with law enforcement agencies concerning conduct or activity that we reasonably and in good faith believes may violate federal, state, or local law, and to prevent harm, loss or injury to others.
So, basically any government agency that wants it (especially paired with the other data they'll disclose) can get it without a warrant. Also in any civil suit, which is curious addition to me.
The IRS is gated behind private companies already, unfortunately. E-filing is only through private companies: there are some forms (990, for example) which must be e-filed, and some which are made...
The IRS is gated behind private companies already, unfortunately. E-filing is only through private companies: there are some forms (990, for example) which must be e-filed, and some which are made intentionally difficult to file directly (eg, forms that you are not allowed to print, but must either e-file or fill out on paper the IRS sends you).
Worse, many of the companies that the IRS is gated behind seem to be distinctly horrible companies as well, often being either enormously sketchy, enormously incompetent, or both.
That is changing, slowly. The IRS cancelled their deal with Intuit that explicitly forbade the IRS from developing their own free filing system, though it may take some time yet for that to be...
That is changing, slowly. The IRS cancelled their deal with Intuit that explicitly forbade the IRS from developing their own free filing system, though it may take some time yet for that to be available to the public.
I haven’t looked into the IRS implementation yet but, as I remember, the California system didn’t require id.me. It was simply an option to get the identification done faster and easier. You could...
I haven’t looked into the IRS implementation yet but, as I remember, the California system didn’t require id.me. It was simply an option to get the identification done faster and easier. You could verify manually, but it takes more time and effort.
Similar to @soks_n_sandals, I also signed up for id.me and did not encounter such hassles as was described in Krebs' article. I do recall that certainly there was plenty of hoop-jumping...but i...
Similar to @soks_n_sandals, I also signed up for id.me and did not encounter such hassles as was described in Krebs' article. I do recall that certainly there was plenty of hoop-jumping...but i don't recall any blocks, nor even the need to connect with representative. Then again, i actually was happy about the hoop jumping because it hopefully blocks (or at least greatly encumbers enough to disuade) the evildoers. Also, happy about the use of multi-factor authentication. And, honestly, we're dealing with potential access to some pretty sensitive information...so i welcome some level of hoop-jumping...Of course, what i dislike is that it is some (yet another) company with yet more of my personal data...which makes for a juicy target.
I hate ID.me. I had to wait six goddamn hours to be able to access my unemployement account because I couldn't get the live selfie to work right, as did my brother, and a couple other people I...
I hate ID.me. I had to wait six goddamn hours to be able to access my unemployement account because I couldn't get the live selfie to work right, as did my brother, and a couple other people I knew. Fortunately I dealt with the BS up front and don't have to worry about it right now (I just got it, did a live selfie to authorize id.me access to the irs).
The thing I find profoundly disturbing is our reliance on private entities for access to government services (id.me, experian, and more). If I could not have to do that at all, I definitely would.
Same here. I couldnt get the desktop version of the site, and the mobile version would not work with my crappy phones front facing camera. I ended up having to do some user-agent shenannigans to...
Same here. I couldnt get the desktop version of the site, and the mobile version would not work with my crappy phones front facing camera. I ended up having to do some user-agent shenannigans to get the mobile version of the site on my desktop browser...
These days, ID.me is perhaps better known as the online identity verification service that many states now use to help staunch the loss of billions of dollars in unemployment insurance and pandemic assistance stolen each year by identity thieves. The privately-held company says it has approximately 64 million users, and gains roughly 145,000 new users each day.
Some 27 states already use ID.me to screen for identity thieves applying for benefits in someone else’s name, and now the IRS is about to join them. 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.
I recently signed up and was actually impressed by the smoothness of the system. I did not face the same issue where my application stalled mid-process. I expected the application to get hung up when transferring the process to my phone for "selfie" verification, but it did not. AND the IRS sent me a letter in the mail to say my details were used to make an account. If this is the mark of the future interactions with the IRS, I'm rather optimistic.
I very much dislike that government services are being gated behind a private company. Especially since their terms of service contain the usual garbage now: Indemnification, mandatory arbitration, ever-changing privacy policy. Explicit usage of things like tracking pixels. Add it onto the pile of data that can be added to your aggregate profile for advertising and god knows what else. I envy the California residents that have the right to opt-out of a lot of this stuff. Funny how they don't make that option open to everyone... I wonder why.
Regarding sharing your biometric data (emphasis mine):
So, basically any government agency that wants it (especially paired with the other data they'll disclose) can get it without a warrant. Also in any civil suit, which is curious addition to me.
The IRS is gated behind private companies already, unfortunately. E-filing is only through private companies: there are some forms (990, for example) which must be e-filed, and some which are made intentionally difficult to file directly (eg, forms that you are not allowed to print, but must either e-file or fill out on paper the IRS sends you).
Worse, many of the companies that the IRS is gated behind seem to be distinctly horrible companies as well, often being either enormously sketchy, enormously incompetent, or both.
That is changing, slowly. The IRS cancelled their deal with Intuit that explicitly forbade the IRS from developing their own free filing system, though it may take some time yet for that to be available to the public.
I haven’t looked into the IRS implementation yet but, as I remember, the California system didn’t require id.me. It was simply an option to get the identification done faster and easier. You could verify manually, but it takes more time and effort.
First paragraph of the article, buddy.
Similar to @soks_n_sandals, I also signed up for id.me and did not encounter such hassles as was described in Krebs' article. I do recall that certainly there was plenty of hoop-jumping...but i don't recall any blocks, nor even the need to connect with representative. Then again, i actually was happy about the hoop jumping because it hopefully blocks (or at least greatly encumbers enough to disuade) the evildoers. Also, happy about the use of multi-factor authentication. And, honestly, we're dealing with potential access to some pretty sensitive information...so i welcome some level of hoop-jumping...Of course, what i dislike is that it is some (yet another) company with yet more of my personal data...which makes for a juicy target.
I hate ID.me. I had to wait six goddamn hours to be able to access my unemployement account because I couldn't get the live selfie to work right, as did my brother, and a couple other people I knew. Fortunately I dealt with the BS up front and don't have to worry about it right now (I just got it, did a live selfie to authorize id.me access to the irs).
The thing I find profoundly disturbing is our reliance on private entities for access to government services (id.me, experian, and more). If I could not have to do that at all, I definitely would.
Same here. I couldnt get the desktop version of the site, and the mobile version would not work with my crappy phones front facing camera. I ended up having to do some user-agent shenannigans to get the mobile version of the site on my desktop browser...
from the article: