Google recently announced that it’s been working on a new way to allow users to access their accounts, which may or may not be good news depending on who you’re talking to. More specifically, the Mountain View tech giant says that users can now opt to sign-in to their accounts via selfie video verification. Google says that the feature serves as an alternative recovery method should other means become unavailable.
Your Google Account holds a lot of valuable information, from cherished photos to important emails and documents. We always want to make sure that information is private, secure, and readily available to you, which is why we recommend setting up multiple sign-in methods. Today, we’re adding a new way to sign in: selfie video.
Selfie video is a new way to get into your account, giving you more options if you’re ever locked out or don’t have access to your usual phone or computer.
To use the feature, users will need to record a short, guided video using their device camera, and will be directed to perform simple head movements to capture multiple facial angles. If an account lockout occurs later, taking a new video allows Google to compare the live recording against the stored baseline to confirm the owner’s identity.
Google says that saved selfie videos are encrypted at rest and stored securely with explicit user consent. Account holders retain complete control over the data and can delete their saved video at any time through their Google Account settings. Furthermore, the recorded footage is strictly used for account recovery unless a user explicitly opts in to share it for other purposes.
Given the somewhat lukewarm public reception towards more “invasive” online identity verification methods over the past couple of years, it should be interesting to see how the new feature is received, and whether or not it becomes a mainstay among Google’s list of other online-powered security features. Then again, it’s not the first time that we’ve seen such features implemented by online service providers.
Interested users can check account eligibility and set up a selfie video immediately at g.co/signin-selfie.
