Overview
- This week Google began a phased rollout of a new video‑selfie recovery option that lets eligible users register a short guided reference video to use later to verify identity.
- To prove liveness the system asks users to perform head movements during both registration and recovery and runs automated checks intended to detect photos, replayed footage or AI‑generated deepfakes.
- Google says reference videos are stored only with user consent, encrypted while saved, and can be deleted from Account settings though a short retention period may apply for safety reasons.
- The feature is opt‑in, complements existing methods like passkeys and two‑step verification, and is not available to certain account types such as Workspace, child profiles, and Advanced Protection Program members.
- The video‑selfie move follows years of Google work on passkeys and other biometrics and is presented as another tool to reduce account takeovers and fraud as AI makes impersonation easier.