YouTube rolls out selfie ID deepfake detection for creators

YouTube is expanding its likeness detection system, inviting users to upload a selfie video and government ID to help combat deepfake videos that use their image. According to YouTube, the idea is to let its own AI patrol the service for fakes and offer takedowns in exchange for participation, with access currently limited to those aged 18 or older who have a selfie and ID.

The company has been gradually widening access since it first floated the concept in 2024, most recently extending it to Hollywood celebrities, and now to a broader cohort of creators, though it emphasises it is for faces only and not voice clones. Privacy advocates have warned that handing biometric data to large platforms could normalise such data collection, even though YouTube says data is used to improve likeness detection models with creator permission and can be opt‑out at any time.

YouTube also supports legislation such as the NO FAKES and TAKE IT DOWN acts intended to curb deepfakes and image misuse, a stance reflected in the service’s ongoing rollout and public discussions about the trade‑offs involved.