EPIC Obtains Privacy Procedures for IRS Private Debt Collection
As the result of a Freedom of Information Act request to the IRS, EPIC has obtained hundreds of documents detailing procedures that bind private debt collectors dealing with U.S. taxpayers. Following a Congressional mandate, the IRS outsourced debt collection for some U.S. taxpayers to private debt collection agencies. Transfer of personal and financial data to private entities raises data security and privacy concerns, and also makes scams and threatening phone collection tactics easier to perpetrate. A group of U.S. senators has already accused one of the four companies of engaging in abusive and illegal phone contacts. The documents obtained by EPIC show how the IRS monitors the companies and the procedures companies must follow when contacting taxpayers. EPIC also obtained the privacy and data security requirements imposed on the debt collectors, details of how they must handle complaints, and the IRS contracts for all four companies. In FOIA lawsuit EPIC v. IRS, EPIC is also seeking therelease of President Trump's Tax records from the agency.
July 10, 2017| Share:
