Google adds selfie biometrics, liveness for account recovery

Google is adding selfie video as a new way for eligible users to regain access to their Google Account when they are locked out or cannot use their usual phone or computer.

The feature is intended to sit alongside existing sign-in and recovery options such as passkeys and recovery contacts rather than replace them.

Users set up the feature in advance by looking at their device camera and completing several guided head movements so that Google can capture their face from multiple angles.

If they later have trouble signing in, they record another selfie video, which Google compares with the previously enrolled video to determine whether the person requesting access is the same person who set up the recovery method.

Google says the comparison is combined with additional security measures intended to prevent impersonation using photographs, prerecorded videos and deepfakes.

The user is asked to perform simple movements to establish that a live person is in front of the camera, while Google’s existing account-security systems also evaluate the sign-in attempt for suspicious activity.

The selfie video is recorded and stored with the user’s consent and is encrypted at rest. Google says users can delete it from their account at any time, and that the video is used only to help them sign in unless they separately opt to share it for additional purposes.

The face itself therefore becomes part of the evidence Google uses to establish that the person attempting to regain access is the same person who previously enrolled the recovery method.

The feature is not yet available to every Google Account. Google Workspace accounts, child accounts and accounts enrolled in the Advanced Protection Program are currently excluded, according to The Hacker News.

Google is also testing a new reCAPTCHA method that analyzes short video clips of a user’s hand and extracts 21 knuckle‑point coordinates to determine human liveness.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometric liveness detection  |  biometrics  |  deepfake detection  |  face biometrics  |  Google  |  selfie biometrics