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Voices of Millions of UK Taxpayers Stored By HMRC (bbc.co.uk)
AmiMoJo shares a report from BBC: The voices of millions of taxpayers have been analyzed and stored by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) without consent, privacy campaigners say. Big Brother Watch says HMRC's Voice ID system has collected 5.1 million audio signatures and accuses the department of creating "biometric ID cards by the back door." The Voice ID scheme, which was launched last year, asks callers to repeat the phrase "my voice is my password" to register. Once this task is complete, they can use the phrase to confirm their identity when managing their taxes.
I don't love the idea of companies collecting biometrics, but what did people think was going on when they repeated the phrase in order to register? Did they think a person was on the other end that was going to remember their voice?
The Voice ID scheme, which was launched last year, asks callers to repeat the phrase "my voice is my password" to register.
I'd really like you to say 'password'.
Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
"My voice is my passport", surely?
"Without consent" as in they tell you exactly what they're doing and ask you to say a specific phrase three times, the whole of which is entirely optional.
I suggest doing a smeagle impression. Anyway, is voice biometrics even that good at this point? A lot of people sound like a lot of other people. Would a good impressionist fool it?
instead of complaining enough about this. That's what we're good at. Pointing fingers at China and Russia, hoping that the sheep will stop complaining on their own government.
The tax bods have a history of leaving data insecure, like burning data to CD and leaving it lying around. Not to be trusted and I bet if someone scams you by using a recording of you it will be pretty hard to defend yourself
and put HMRC out of business? Is this the way to end taxes once and for all?!
The problem with slashdot is that most of its users were bullied and stuffed into lockers as kids!
Sarcasm implied. This can't be secure. There POTS and GSM systems are far too low bandwidth for voice for this to work so I'm guessing that it's really insecure. Challenge accepted?
I haven't a clue what bellend thought such a system was a good idea, or would work.
Time to have a root around his tax affairs....
I know this article is about voice prints and HMRC, so I run the risk of being off topic.
But I have long suspected that the automated border gates are collecting data in exactly the same way.
The Australian ones, have in small letters underneath the passport scanner: "by supplying your passport you consent to our data storage policy". I've asked to see the policy, but the border staff laughed at me.
We're basically fucked, and no one seems to care...
Someone's been watching too much of the movie "Sneakers".
It's a convenience for taxpayers and probably a lot easier to use than having to remember a PIN that gets used once a year (listen up IRS).
I encountered this for the first time yesterday when having to call HMRC. I don't recall the automated message indicating that registration was optional. I simply stayed silent and mashed the 0 key on my telephone. The system did attempt to get me to say the phrase multiple times, but eventually gave up and put me through to a human with registering. However, I suspect that the average user will realise that they can stay quiet to sidestep the registration.
Sounds like a good database to have to make the idea of burner phones irrelevant.
One still needs a password, which should be secret, not public.
Voice signatures can't be forged.
Is there IVR as well to confirm you are actually saying the phrase as well as the repetition to confirm it is the same person saying it?
What if you said (in response to "please repeat the phrase" prompt) "Go fuck yourself" each time? Would that become the passphrase?
"Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
In the words of Cardinal Borusa... "There's nothing more useless than a lock with a voiceprint!".
Great...
until your voice changes.
A blog I run for the wealth
The voices of millions of taxpayers have been analyzed and stored by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) without consent, privacy campaigners say.
and
The Voice ID scheme, which was launched last year, asks callers to repeat the phrase "my voice is my password" to register.
Once this task is complete, they can use the phrase to confirm their identity when managing their taxes.
Responding to the request "repeat the phrase 'my voice is my password' the register" is giving consent - that the government agency might misuse the data is not the same as the government agency is misusing the data. This appears to be a case of "might" not "is".
Ken
Have gnu, will travel.
There's nothing more useless than a lock with a voice print.
For the record : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zVgWpVXb64
tl;DR - "My voice is my passport" was used as entry.
I swear we're either getting dumber by the day or there is an awfull lot of people severely in over their head for even thinking this crap up.
The ATO has been using this for years.
"In Australia, my voice identifies me." is the phrase I use.
ATO, the tax office, uses the same lock on phrase, in Australia.
I understand some biometrics are available for sale from a certain, international credit rating agency. I understand the government makes this available for sale.
Add to this the excellent new google tool that realistically impersonates a voice and I'm sure someone clever out there will have it spitting out "My voice is my password" after a few short, non-related samples in no time.
Excuse me Nero... are you done with that violin? I'd like to give it a whirl.