The IRS reversed its decision to require taxpayers to use facial recognition software to access tax records

Just last month, it was reported that the IRS would require taxpayers to go through a facial recognition process through ID.me in order to access certain online tax records. Now, after heavy criticism, the IRS has announced that it will “transition away from using a third-party service for facial recognition to help authenticate people creating new online accounts.”

The notice on the IRS site states that the “transition will occur over the coming weeks in order to prevent larger disruptions to taxpayers during filing season.”

As to how this will affect taxpayers who need to file their taxes, the site states that the transition “does not interfere with the taxpayer’s ability to file their return or pay taxes owed. During this period, the IRS will continue to accept tax filings, and it has no other impact on the current tax season. People should continue to file their taxes as they normally would.”

Currently, the site still has the option to register for a new account with ID.me or login with ID.me, but users also still have the option to login with just their normal IRS username and password.

ID.me, a third-party that specializes in identity verification, was awarded an $89 million contract to help the IRS combat fraud. Of that, came the facial recognition process, which, currently in use, will be phased out. There’s no word on what will happen to the contract, or more importantly, the $89 million that was granted to ID.me.