Bill Overview
Title: Save Taxpayers’ Privacy Act
Description: This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from establishing or maintaining any verification process for access to an Internal Revenue Service online account or service using facial recognition technology.
Sponsors: Rep. Walorski, Jackie [R-IN-2]
Target Audience
Population: People accessing IRS online services
Estimated Size: 170000000
- The bill affects anyone who accesses IRS services online since it changes the verification method.
- The existing or potential users of IRS online services will no longer have facial recognition as an option for identity verification.
- Individuals concerned about privacy and the use of facial recognition by government agencies are impacted.
Reasoning
- The target population for this policy includes all U.S. taxpayers who engage in online activities with the IRS since they would be affected by changes in the identity verification process.
- The number of people affected by this policy is large given the estimated 170 million taxpayers in the U.S., all of whom might potentially access IRS services online.
- The budget constraint limits extensive rollouts or expensive campaigns; hence, awareness campaigns or process modifications will remain modest in scope.
- Not everyone in the affected group will feel a significant impact as the change primarily affects those concerned about privacy or inconveniences with facial recognition technology.
- The overall impact on wellbeing will vary greatly depending on individual preferences towards privacy, technology adoption, and trust in government systems.
Simulated Interviews
Software Developer (California)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.5 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I avoid services that require facial recognition.
- Privacy is a vital aspect for me.
- This policy is a relief knowing I won't be forced to use facial recognition for IRS services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Accountant (Texas)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.5 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Facial recognition is convenient and I don't have privacy concerns with it.
- The change might be inconvenient for tech-savvy users like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 7 |
Retired (New York)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't fully trust facial recognition technology.
- It's important for government services to maintain privacy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Entrepreneur (Florida)
Age: 27 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Convenience is key for me and facial recognition is part of that.
- I hope the alternative is equally efficient.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Teacher (Washington)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Facial recognition is intimidating to me.
- This change makes online services feel safer.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 2 |
Student (Oregon)
Age: 22 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.5 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I prefer more modern technology like facial recognition for its ease.
- I worry the alternative methods will be cumbersome.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Engineer (Illinois)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Government use of facial recognition is intrusive.
- This policy reassures privacy will be respected.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Stay-at-home Parent (Georgia)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't use facial recognition and I'm not comfortable with it.
- It's a relief knowing I won't have to.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Consultant (Nevada)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see facial recognition as a step forward in technology.
- Removing it seems like a backward step.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 7 |
Business Owner (Arizona)
Age: 48 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Facial recognition felt like added security.
- I worry about exposing my identity in other ways.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $45000000 (Low: $35000000, High: $55000000)
Year 3: $42000000 (Low: $32000000, High: $52000000)
Year 5: $40000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $50000000)
Year 10: $35000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $45000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring alternative verification processes are robust and secure without facial recognition.
- Potential public criticism if alternative verification processes are inconvenient.
- Balancing privacy concerns with the need for secure taxpayer identification.