Overview
- Roughly 5,000 eligible YouTube Partner Program creators received access in a beta that lives in a new Likeness section of YouTube Studio.
- Enrollment is opt in and requires identity verification via QR code, a government photo ID, and a brief randomized selfie video, with approval typically taking a few days.
- The dashboard surfaces suspected matches to a creator’s face, including video titles, channels, views, dialogue snippets, and “High priority” markers for review.
- Creators can request privacy removals of AI-altered videos, file copyright claims, or archive matches, and opting out stops scanning within about 24 hours.
- YouTube says the tool focuses on face-based detection and may miss voice-only clones; it follows a CAA pilot and is slated to reach all monetized channels by January 2026, drawing scrutiny over biometric data collection and selective access.