How did ID.me get between you and your identity?

The company is becoming America's digital gatekeeper. ID.me has grown from a tech company you have never heard of into a digital gatekeeper for the US government and the IRS. In 2021, CEO Blake Hall publicly claimed that his company had uncovered a $400 billion theft of pandemic unemployment payments by cybercriminal gangs. While some research suggests the number is greatly exaggerated, this finding has undoubtedly helped Hall's company become a billion-dollar industry leader. However, things may not be as good as they sound. Here, Shawn Donnan and Dina Bass reveal how ID.me has been facing growing scrutiny over its work for the IRS and the highly unreliable facial recognition technology it uses, which leaves many of its users in identity limbo, unable to access the funds they need to get by.