Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) has introduced a bill that would ban the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from collecting taxpayer biometric data. Numerous lawmakers have joined the former governor of Florida in introducing the Ban IRS Biometrics Act, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R), as lawmakers across the country voice their concerns regarding online security and IRS oversight.
The legislation would put a halt on the IRS “from requiring taxpayers to submit biometric data such as ‘selfie’ style face scans to log-in to accounts, access refunds and file taxes” according to a press release from Senator Scott.
Though the IRS has announced that it will not move forward with implementing these measures, the lawmakers that “the American people cannot ignore the concerns that this gross invasion of privacy raises regarding the collection and security of catalogued data on every American taxpayer – especially following previous IRS data breaches which leaked the confidential personal data of U.S. Taxpayers.”
In a statement commenting on the bill, Senator Scott directs criticism at the Biden Administration, expressing that President Joe Biden (D) supports said “gross invasion of privacy.”
“The fact that the Biden administration would even consider requiring Americans to use facial recognitions system just to file their taxes is both unsurprising and deeply concerning,” he said, adding that he’s “glad that Biden’s IRS finally listened to… warning and reversed its horrible proposal – but we must ensure this disastrous idea is never entertained again.”
Noting that “the safety of Americans’ personal information must ALWAYS be a priority,” Senator Scott vowed to continue “this fight” while also calling for his colleagues to support the legislation.
The IRS previously faced scrutiny after it was reported that applications such as Venmo, PayPal and Cash App must report business transactions that surpass $600.
As reported by NBC News, “the change to the tax code was signed into law as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, the Covid-19 response bill passed in March.”
