ID.me Announces Options for Selfie Deletion and Identity Verification without Automated Facial Recognition

Company committed to delivering government solutions that maximize access and choice for all Americans

Today, ID.me announced a new option to verify identity without using automated facial recognition and will make this available to all public sector government partners.

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“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,” stated ID.me Founder and CEO, Blake Hall. “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. Agencies can now select this configuration. Additionally, all ID.me users will be able to delete their selfie or photo at account.ID.me beginning on March 1.”

ID.me is an identity verification company, not a biometrics company. The company allows for secure and equitable access to help all Americans interact online with government agencies. Our technology allows consumers to verify their identity in a way that puts people in charge of their own information. Agencies can now offer users an upfront choice to verify with a human agent, including through video chat or in-person, if the agency has also procured our offline option.

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“ID.me is deeply committed to access, equity, security, and privacy. Since 2013, the company worked directly with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to advance a consumer-centric model of identity verification where individuals – not data brokers or credit bureaus – get to decide how their data is shared,” said Hall.

ID.me’s trained agents have already verified more than three million Americans, including the unbanked, homeless people, and international users. These pathways are a critical lifeline for millions. Today, ID.me is expanding this capability to include individuals who do not wish to use automated facial recognition at all.

During the pandemic, ID.me stopped organized crime from defrauding the country of hundreds of billions of dollars in unemployment benefits. The company’s experience fighting identity thieves taught us that the federal standards are effective to protect people and our country. Four states credited ID.me with stopping $210 billion in fraud. The selfie check continues to be a critical tool in the fight against organized crime. At the same time, we believe deeply in choice. Today’s announcement allows our agency partners to balance these principles.

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