Never mind — at least, for now.
That’s what the Social Security Administration told those with online “mySocialSecurity” accounts, two weeks after announcing that they would be required to have cellphones to receive security code texts in order to log on to the accounts.
Social Security recipients can use the online accounts to manage their benefits, such as selecting a bank account for automatic deposit. Workers who don’t yet receive benefits can use the accounts to obtain estimates of future benefits and to check their earnings statements to make sure the estimates are based on correct information.
After an outcry from older Americans, as well as a letter from two United States senators, the agency backed off the cellphone-based code requirement.
“Our aggressive implementation inconvenienced or restricted access to some of our account holders,” said a statement emailed by an agency spokesman, Mark Hinkle. “We are listening to the public’s concerns and are responding by temporarily rolling back this mandate.”
The change means users can log on to their online “mySocialSecurity” accounts as before, with just a username and password. If they want, they can choose the text option as added security feature, as has been the case since the accounts were first offered in 2012.
The agency made text codes mandatory on July 30, saying it was doing so to comply with an executive order requiring federal agencies to upgrade their online security. The codes served as a type of multifactor authentication, in which information beyond a user name and password is used to help protect sensitive personal information online. Many banks and online services offer text verification.
But many people, especially older ones, complained that the requirement was unreasonable; fewer older Americans use cellphones, and some said they found texting difficult. In addition, technical glitches hampered access to the site, even for users with texting capability.
On Aug. 12, Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, chairwoman of the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging, and Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, the ranking minority member, wrote to the Social Security Administration to express concern. While they understood the rationale for the change, they said, methods for stronger fraud protection “must be considered relative to the needs and circumstances of the target population.”
“The new policy puts a high burden on American seniors, many of whom may not own a cellphone,” they wrote.
On Aug. 13, the Social Security Administration removed the texting requirement and said it planned to introduce alternative authentication options, in addition to texting, within the next six months.
“We regret any inconvenience individuals may have experienced,” the administration’s statement said.
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SOURCE: The New York Times
Ann Carrns
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