With no apparent sense of irony, the nation’s tax collectors have awarded embattled credit-reporting agency Equifax a contract to assist the IRS in verifying “taxpayer identities” as well as assist in “ongoing identity verification and validations,” according to contract award posted to the Federal Business Opportunities database.
The no-bid contract, which pays $7.25 million, is listed as a “sole source” acquisition, meaning the IRS has determined Equifax is the only business capable of providing this service — despite its involvement in potentially one of the most damaging data breaches in recent memory…
Equifax, of course, is facing intense criticism over a cybersecurity incident which reportedly compromised the personal information of roughly 145 million Americans. The company’s former CEO, Richard Smith, was taken to task on Tuesday while testifying before the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee. Smith resigned last week amid backlash over the company’s handling of the breach.
Republicans and Democrats alike lambasted the former chief executive over Equifax’s response. Representative Greg Walden was perhaps the harshest in his criticism: “I don’t think we can pass a law that fixes stupid…”
Not even a case of “The blind leading the blind”.
Equifax is the ultimate “you are the product” company in a way even Facebook and Google can never achieve.
They don’t care about consumer relations. Not at all.
Because people isn’t their market.
The IRS probably admires Equifax and the data breach was probably viewed as resume enhancement.
Seriously? Paying a corrupt/stupid private company $7.25 million to verify “taxpayer identity”?!
Assuming the IRS has totally lost their OWN database of taxpayers, doesn’t the NSA or the FBI have more accurate — er — more secure “records”? Or how about the SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION?!
Yes, I think you’re right. No fix for stupid.
… And in case you forgot, Stupid Hurts! My only question is just who do you think is going to end up hurting?
You vote D/R. You pathetic hypocrite.
Your point is totally true. But you you are just a shill who got your post right by accident.
No bid contract I would suppose
This is obviously another “bail out” subsidy. Probably pushed thru the IRS, by some political insiders, who have a financial interest in keeping Equifax afloat. Even after said contract was canceled. It’s probably only temporary. They’ll sneak it through, calling it something else. At a later date. I’m surprised it was only $7.25 million, and not billion.
Your post was really. The local validation and internal content will be able to transfer.