Google is adding a selfie video option as a new way to sign in to accounts, providing an alternative for users who may be locked out due to a lost device or forgotten password.
Users can set up their selfie video through a short online process that includes a few guided head movements, letting the device camera capture multiple angles, the Alphabet Inc. company said in a blog post on Thursday. That saved recording will then be used to check against live video that users submit during subsequent sign-in attempts.
Google has been testing different verification methods for purposes other than account sign-ins. For example, it works with a third-party company, Private ID, for selfie verification to confirm users’ age before they access age-restricted content. This may become more pertinent as nations, including Australia and France, adopt new regulations to ban social media use for young teenagers.
The new saved selfie video will only be used for sign-in purposes — unless customers opt in to let the company also use it to “improve facial recognition, age estimation and other verification methods” that rely on physical features or movement, according to the help page. Google said the video is stored in a secure, encrypted manner and users can delete the clip from their accounts at any time.
A Google spokesperson said the new sign-in option isn’t designed to be used for age verification, but the company will prevent users from enrolling a selfie if its technology suspects they are underage.
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