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IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

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Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#21

Post by xxpor »

jcadam wrote: post #14
zht wrote: post #6

love that Americans are always worried about some sort of national ID/database of citizens being used for nefarious needs

The main issue is if it's required. Not so worried about myself - I'm a veteran which means my fingerprints and DNA are already on file with the feds somewhere :), but US Citizens with no particular connection to the federal government absolutely shouldn't have to need a "National ID."

And yet, everyone suffers because of it. We have endless SSN breaches because at the end of the day, having a unique ID for people is really valuable! We could have something way safer, but we get stuck with the status quo which satisfies no one.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#22

Post by hanniabu »

wyc wrote: post #5

login.gov is open source! They also encrypt user data in a way that they can't access it without the user's password, precluding the formation of a national registry that could be used towards nefarious and anti-democratic purposes. As a result, account recovery looks a lot like re-registration, which I think is a great thing. https://github.com/18F/identity-idp It's built on Rails, and I'm really impressed at the en…

> They also encrypt user data in a way that they can't access it without the user's password

I love how low our standards for government sites have gotten where this is seen as a plus and not something that's expected

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#25

Post by techsupporter »

bonestamp2 wrote: post #11

If you use Customs and Border Patrol's trusted traveler programs (or some other gov sites), you may already have a login.gov account since that is what they have been using for a few years now.

I just wonder what kind of extra hoops we'll have to go through to use an existing login.gov account with the IRS. I read in some article somewhere that the IRS didn't use login.gov because it isn't "as verified" or some kind of thing as the IRS needs.

Yet the reason I have a login.gov account is for my NEXUS enrollment which means I've been fingerprinted, background checked, had my passport number linked, and been interviewed in person by two different governments. That seems pretty identity verified to me.

If I have to go through some other step, especially if it involves yet another biometric or interview check, that's going to be annoying.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#26

Post by plandis »

zht wrote: post #6

love that Americans are always worried about some sort of national ID/database of citizens being used for nefarious needs

Why would anyone want superfluous data stored by their government? What purpose does it have?

In my mind, governments are like companies both are comprised of people making decisions which may or may not align with my personal interests. I want a GDPR for the government.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#27

Post by aaaaaaaaata »

xxpor wrote: post #21
jcadam wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The main issue is if it's required. Not so worried about myself - I'm a veteran which means my fingerprints and DNA are already on file with the feds somewhere :), but US Citizens with no particular connection to the federal government absolutely shouldn't have to need a "National ID."

And yet, everyone suffers because of it. We have endless SSN breaches because at the end of the day, having a unique ID for people is really valuable! We could have something way safer, but we get stuck with the status quo which satisfies no one.

Use revokable public/private keypairs.

The two options presented before my comment are not the only ones.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#29

Post by jcadam »

hanniabu wrote: post #20
mdb31 wrote: post #15

I'm a foreigner (yes, I know, sorry, sorry) who is a "US Person" and thus needs to (and, to be perfectly clear, is happy to, I'm sorry, I'm not-sorry, I'm sorry about being not-sorry?) pay US income tax. The IRS system is, by far, the worst I've ever had to deal with, and in this I'm comparing the US to countries like Rwanda, where, for some weird reason, I'm also required to pay taxes. Getting an ITIN (sort-of like…

> The IRS system is, by far, the worst I've ever had to deal with That's by design

The byzantine rules exist to create deductions and loopholes for different interest groups. Raising the standard deduction was actually a good move, as it simplified my tax filing for sure (I don't bother to itemize now) -- but I imagine the tax preparation industry (amongst others) was not pleased.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#30

Post by marcosdumay »

jcadam wrote: post #14
zht wrote: post #6

love that Americans are always worried about some sort of national ID/database of citizens being used for nefarious needs

The main issue is if it's required. Not so worried about myself - I'm a veteran which means my fingerprints and DNA are already on file with the feds somewhere :), but US Citizens with no particular connection to the federal government absolutely shouldn't have to need a "National ID."

A citizen database says who exists and how to contact them.

Fingerprint and DNA are a completely different thing, and crazily intrusive to collect on a central location.

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