Here are some of today’s consumer headlines.
Some Detergent Prices Will Go Up
Get ready to pay more to do your laundry. Procter and Gamble says it’s raising prices by roughly 8% on products like Tide and Gain detergent, fabric softeners and dryer sheets.
The price hike goes into effect next month (Feb. 2022).
It’s also raising prices on some personal health care products in April. Executives claim the money will help offset costs like transportation and labor.
ID.me a New Requirement
Uncle Sam is getting ready to start using facial recognition technology for online tax filers.
Starting this summer, users with an IRS.gov account will no longer be able to log in with just a username and password. Instead, they’ll need a government-issued ID and a selfie, among other verification to confirm their identity.
Existing online accounts with IRS.gov, which require only an email and password to access, will no longer work as of the middle of 2022, the agency says.
The IRS says the move is necessary to protect taxpayers from potential identity theft, but privacy advocates say it’s invasive and point out that the company behind ID.me has a spotty record in verifying people’s identities.
A spokesperson for the IRS said that Americans would not need to take a selfie or make an ID.me account in order to file their tax return.
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