Everyone has lost access to something. A phone, a password, a recovery code sent to a dead email. Google’s answer, announced on Thursday, is your face.
The company is adding a selfie video as a way to sign in, it said in a blog post. Setting it up takes a short online process with a few guided head movements, so the camera can capture several angles. Google saves that clip. Next time you cannot get in, you record a fresh video, and Google matches it against the saved one.
Google encrypts the clip, uses it only for sign-in, and lets you delete it whenever you like, as Bloomberg first reported. It will not work for Google Workspace accounts, children’s accounts, or anyone in the Advanced Protection Program. The system can also spot deepfakes and flat photos, the company says.
The convenience is real. The more interesting shift is quieter. Your face is becoming a key, and Google is building the lock.
A login today, an age check tomorrow?
