Selfies Are Now Optional for ID.me Verification

After the IRS walked back the proposed requirement that taxpayers use ID.me's photo verification service, the company announced it would offer a new option to government customers – one that verifies identity without using automated facial recognition.

ID.me's service verifies users' identities by comparing an image on a uploaded government document, like a driver's license, to a live photo or selfie. The company's facial recognition technology verifies that the person in both photos is the same.

“We have listened to the feedback about facial recognition and are making this important change, adding an option for users to verify directly with a human agent to ensure consumers have even more choice and control over their personal data,” ID.me Founder and CEO Blake Hall said in a press statement. “In recent weeks, we have modified our process so government agencies can empower people to choose to verify their identity with an expert human agent without going through a selfie check."

Last year, ID.me and Sterling Check Corp. began offering an identity verification service for users without smartphones that allows those users to present themselves at a Sterling location for verification by a trained staff member.

Additionally, all ID.me users will be able to delete their selfie or photo at account.ID.me starting March 1, Hall said.

ID.me is used in several states. The California Employment Development Department uses the service to expedite the process of verifying claimants’ identities, reduce the build-up of claims requiring manual review and crack down on fraud, according to the department’s press office. The service is also used in Pennsylvania, Idaho and Indiana to verify identity for unemployment benefits. South Carolina uses the service across several agencies.