Google now lets you sign in with a selfie video: Here's how

Google has launched a facial recognition authentication method that lets users sign into their accounts using selfie videos. The new feature, now available for eligible Google Accounts, requires users to record guided head movements and compares the video against a stored template to verify identity.

This new feature has been announced by Google in a blog post today, stating that the selfie video sign-in can be used as yet another form of recovery when one’s account is locked out.` The company acknowledged the security risks directly, stating it has built "multiple layers of security to help prevent impersonation attempts like fake photos and videos (i.e., deepfakes)."

How does signing in with a selfie video work for Google accounts?

Setting up selfie video sign-in is easy: users look at their device camera and complete "a few short, guided head movements to capture multiple angles". When signing in later, Google compares the new video to the stored version to confirm identity.

The liveness detection component is crucial to Google's deepfake defence. Google requires users to "perform simple movements to prove it's a live video", not a static image or pre-recorded footage. 

The tech giant also matches new videos against the saved selfie and deploys "standard security practices to detect and help prevent suspicious sign-in attempts."

But whether those defences hold against sophisticated deepfake generation remains untested. As AI image synthesis improves, facial recognition systems face escalating threats.

Selfie videos are encrypted at rest and stored with explicit consent. Users can delete their video from Google Account settings at any time. The company states videos are "used only for helping you sign in, unless you opt to share them for additional purposes."