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The IRS will pay Equifax $7.25 million to verify taxpayer identities and help prevent fraud under a no-bid contract issued last week, even as lawmakers lash the embattled company about a massive security breach that exposed personal information of as many as 145.5 million Americans.
A contract award for Equifax's data services was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities database Sept. 30 — the final day of the fiscal year. The credit agency will "verify taxpayer identity" and "assist in ongoing identity verification and validations" at the IRS, according to the award.
The notice describes the contract as a "sole source order," meaning Equifax is the only company deemed capable of providing the service. It says the order was issued to prevent a lapse in identity checks while officials resolve a dispute over a separate contract.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/03/equifax-irs-fraud-protection-contract-243419
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 05 2017, @03:31PM (1 child)
I found this funny: "Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle blasted the IRS decision." They should have added the phrase: "in public". The IRS doesn't do things like this, unless compelled to by congressional graft.
The next question is: How is Equifax supposed to validate the IRS's data without violating the 4th amendment, OR otherwise converting Equifax into an agency of state? Not that it isn't common practice for agencies of state to be created informally, while relying on the judicial branch to simply declare "nu uh, nu uh!" when anybody asks questions about constitutional rights.
But this is the IRS. I don't think there is any organization in the federal government that creates more paperwork. What do these guys think is going to happen? The I.T. guys are going to talk to each other, and then hand over creds to each others databases. Which is to say that Equifax can use the federal database to revalidate its data, in vice versa. I expect there are about a thousand problems with that spanning criminal, civil, and military law.
And I'm guessing there are about as many people at the IRS who could quote you that law verbatim, who are cringing. They should tell the I.T. staff, so those guys can say "no", when they are instructed to commit crimes by their bosses. This is one that very easily go sideways and land people in jail. And it won't be the congressmen busily sucking Equifax cock for campaign kickbacks who get locked up. They will be the ones yelling the loudest for heads when the technicians are going to jail.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 05 2017, @06:27PM
"You know the drill pal, if you're not [insert corrupt office] you're little people!"