Google has announced that users will soon be able to sign in to their accounts using a selfie video, marking the latest shift away from traditional passwords. The feature, revealed on Thursday, allows people locked out of their accounts or without access to their usual device to verify their identity by recording a short video of themselves performing simple head movements such as turning left or nodding.
The system works by comparing the new video against a reference video created during setup. Google says it employs multiple layers of security, including liveness detection, to ensure the person on camera is a real human rather than a deepfake or a pre-recorded clip. “We match your video against your saved selfie and require you to perform simple movements to prove it’s a live video,” the company wrote in a blog post.
For UK businesses, the move reflects a broader industry trend toward biometric authentication. As AI-generated video becomes more convincing, firms handling logins, payments, or sensitive data are under pressure to adopt “liveness” checks. However, the technology also raises regulatory questions. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has previously warned about the risks of biometric data collection, and the EU’s AI Act imposes strict rules on real-time biometric systems. Google says selfie videos are stored with encryption and users can delete them at any time.
Consumer groups have expressed mixed reactions. While the feature could simplify account recovery and reduce password-related fraud, privacy advocates caution that storing biometric data creates a new vector for potential abuse. Dr. Ayesha Khan, a digital identity researcher at the University of Cambridge, told UKPulse Media: “Selfie-based logins offer convenience, but they also concentrate risk. If a database of facial biometrics is breached, you cannot reset your face like you would a password.”
For the UK economy, wider adoption of biometric logins could reduce the estimated £2.7 billion lost annually to online fraud, but it may also create compliance costs for businesses needing to align with both UK and EU data protection regimes. The ICO is expected to issue updated guidance on biometric verification later this year.