The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance on Wednesday announced it will discontinue its use of facial recognition in ID.me, a popular identity verification service that’s come under scrutiny in recent weeks.
Though 27 states use ID.me for verifying identity in processing unemployment insurance claims, Massachusetts’ unemployment bureau is the first to follow the lead of the IRS, which earlier this month announced it would phase out its use of the software’s facial recognition component. Massachusetts’ announcement, which was first reported by the Boston Herald, highlights an ongoing dispute between privacy advocates opposed to facial recognition technology and government leaders who say they want the newest tools available to fight crime.
