Florida Is Using Digital ID Facial Recognition On Hurricane Relief Applicants

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The hurricane-battered victims in Florida find themselves entangled in a contentious privacy debate as they are directed to use facial recognition software ID.me to authenticate their identities and access online recovery relief, says FloridaCommerce. The state agency, in charge of many vital services, claims this system bolsters secure online financial operations. However, skeptics argue it forces those in desperate need of crucial relief services to surrender their privacy rights. Despite the criticism, the state agency employs the ID.me system for individuals to access an array of services. From assisting with unemployment benefits to managing business bridge loans, FloridaCommerce distributes disaster recovery services to the citizens. This burgeoning issue highlights invasions of privacy and surveillance that have chilling implications for free speech and censorship. Detailed instructions on the FloridaCommerce website inform users that ID.me necessitates the disclosure of some personal information and undergoing “online identity proofing” and “authentication.” Despite its application across state and federal agencies, the ID.me system has been steeped in controversy. This year, Senate Republicans sent a letter voicing their objection to the IRS’s method of gathering sensitive biometric data via ID.me. Warning against thrusting citizens back into the cumbersome paper-driven bureaucracy, the letter criticizes the IRS for forcing individuals to yield their most personal biometric information to an external contractor. Similarly, Senator Elizabeth Warren directed an urgent letter for the Department of Labor to halt the use of the contentious service…Florida Is Using Digital ID Facial Recognition On Hurricane Relief Applicants