What are the Challenges of Selfie Identity Verification?

By adding this technology to your KYC program, you can improve your fraud prevention capabilities, detecting new fraud types, such as deepfakes, image quality manipulation spoofs, and others. However, there are some challenges that selfie ID verification can pose, for example: Image/video quality issues . Poor lighting, bad angles, and low resolution from the user’s side can lead to false negatives. Facial recognition bias . Some selfie verification systems are less accurate for certain demographics. You need to ensure that you choose a solution that supports your markets and is global. Accessibility . Actions like blinking or head movements can exclude users with disabilities when there are active liveness checks during the verification. Data handling . The selfie verification solution should be compliant with all data regulations and requirements.

What is a Selfie Document?

A selfie document is a valid form of identification, which is used in the first step of the KYC process (since the selfie or the biometric verification step comes afterwards). The user uploads their document, and the system compares the photo on the document with their live selfie to see if it matches and that the user is live and present during the verification check. If all details are genuine and the document isn’t forged, they are approved to complete the ID verification. Selfie documents can be any official government-issued ID documents, such as passports, driver’s licenses, and national ID cards (sometimes, other documents are accepted as well, such as Social Security cards).

Can You Use Selfies for Reverification?

Yes. Selfie verification improves the user onboarding flow by approving or denying their verification attempts more efficiently. So it can also be used for reverification later after the user has been originally registered to the platform. Instead of a password that’s hard to remember sometimes, the user needs to provide their selfie, aka facial biometrics, and confirm a high-risk action, for example, a large transaction. Such an approach enhances security while keeping the process seamless.

How Reliable is Selfie Identity Verification?

It’s very reliable when used with another layer of verification , as biometric traits can’t be forged, unlike ID documents. Paired with other IDV methods, such as database checks (cross-checking the user’s onboarding data with another reputable source, such as a government registry), selfie ID verification minimizes the chance of fraud, protecting users from breaches, account takeovers, and other types of criminal behavior.

What You Should Know About Selfie Identity Verification

By 2030, the identity verification market size is expected to reach at least 25 billion US dollars. However, various different verification solutions in the market, it becomes challenging to find the one that actually works in two main ways: it prevents fraud and doesn’t add unnecessary friction to the process. This is where selfie identity verification comes in handy.

During this type of Know Your Customer (KYC) process, users take and upload a selfie, a series of selfies, or a video to confirm its liveliness. After that, the IDV software compares it against the photo on the user’s ID document for proper verification. In addition to that, selfie verification has become a beloved solution as a simple way to reauthenticate returning customers.

However, selfies shouldn’t be the one and only measure in your identity verification system. Find out why by reading the blog post.

What is Selfie ID Verification?

Selfie identity verification, often known as a selfie check, selfie authentication, or biometric verification, is a user verification method that utilizes biometrics. It involves taking a selfie and uploading it to confirm one’s identity. Users capture their selfie images using their smartphones, tablets, or computers, with AI software typically guiding them through the process.

This form of identification isn’t completely foolproof, especially on its own. That’s why companies use it as an extra layer of defense against fraudsters by combining it with other verification measures. For example, document verification or database verification.

In this scenario, after receiving the selfie from the user, the company can perform a comparison between the selfie and the user’s uploaded ID document or a special government database to ensure that the user is legitimate. This process also helps prevent unauthorized account access by verifying that the account holder matches the ID documents provided.

Companies that accept selfies sometimes ask users for multiple pictures. For instance, a profile selfie, a selfie looking to the right, and so on. This extra measure ensures that the user is live and present during the selfie identity verification process. Companies do this to prevent deepfakes, masks, altered photos, and other attempts to pass this security step fraudulently.

What are the Three Components of the Selfie Identity Verification Process?

The selfie verification process is based on three main steps, which are:

Selfie capture. The user is asked to take a selfie photo or, alternatively, record a short video of their face. Once that’s done, they submit it so that the system can analyze the user’s biometrics.
Data analysis. The selfie verification software uses its algorithm to compare the user’s selfie with a reference image (this depends on the particular solution, but either a government-issued ID photo is used or another database).
Liveness check. This is an optional step. Liveness detection uses AI to ensure the user is physically present during selfie verification, preventing fraud attempts such as using facial masks or spoofing. The goal is to automatically confirm whether the submitted identity data belongs to a real person.

Proper selfie identity verification solutions guide the user throughout their whole verification process providing clear instructions, for example, how to move their head or position their ID document in place. High-quality images are crucial for accurate KYC checks. This helps convert the user quicker and, at the same time, detect fraudulent attempts to bypass the verification, such as deepfake technology and other spoofing attempts.

What is Liveness Detection?

Liveness detection is a process aimed at detecting non-living spoofs, such as pictures, prints, silicone masks, and other presentation attacks. This technology has the ability to detect whether the person taking the selfie is real or not. Liveness detection uses sophisticated algorithms and typically happens in the background after the user submits the selfie.

What’s good about liveness detection is that if a fraudster attempts to use someone else’s documents, they will either be deterred by the request for a liveness check, or the check will prove that they don’t match the person shown in the uploaded ID document.

Active Liveness vs Passive Liveness

There are two kinds of liveness checks, which include:

Active liveness. These checks require users to respond to several actions, also called active detection techniques, in front of the camera to confirm their presence. For example, they can be asked to smile or shift their gaze in a specific direction.
Passive liveness. Unlike active liveness checks, passive liveness checks don’t ask the user to perform specific actions. Instead, they focus on identifying typical red flags that could giveaway fraud. For example, motion detection or skin texture.

The key difference between the two lies in their approach: active liveness checks require the user to execute a series of response actions to confirm their real presence, while passive liveness performs the required checks without the user’s awareness of the process.

When it comes to fraud prevention, human reflexes, and challenges, including blinking and other reflexive signals, are harder to fake with AI. Despite that, active liveness, with such a challenge-response method, takes more time compared to the background analysis used in passive liveness.

Infographic summarising what liveness detection is.

How Does Selfie Verification Work?

The selfie verification process typically works through a digital platform or app in real-time. Many companies use it as a method to onboard customers securely at scale. The actual person who’s performing the ID verification check follows instructions in order to confirm their identity through a selfie.

To achieve a successful digital onboarding, you require two essential components: a scanning device, usually in the form of a smartphone, for capturing a selfie, and specialized software that converts the selfie into a standardized digital format. This format is then used to compare the facial characteristics with those on the user’s ID card for verification.

Selfie verification typically consists of a few steps and works like this:

During customer onboarding, the user captures and submits a photo of their government-issued ID, for example, a driver’s license or passport.
Information from the ID document is compared against official databases and other user-provided details to see if there are any inconsistencies.
The user is then asked to take and upload a selfie or a sequence of selfies. This is to make sure that the user matches the person on the ID.
Finally, the verification software checks the selfies or videos submitted by the user to confirm their liveness, which is all compared to the photo on their ID for final validation.

Financial institutions are obliged entities that must conduct identity verification checks during the account opening process to comply with KYC/AML regulations. Other industries can also implement selfie verification checks when there’s a greater risk of fraud. Remember that not every customer needs to go under higher scrutiny due to the unnecessary friction that it might add.

Selfie identity verification enhances user experience and ensures compliance with regulations.

Why is Selfie Identity Verification Becoming So Popular?

In an increasingly digital world, many transactions and interactions occur remotely. Selfie verification solves this issue. Part of that is why it has become a popular measure for secure identity confirmation without needing physical presence, making it ideal for online services, remote work, and virtual interactions. Advances in facial recognition technology and biometrics have made selfie verification more accurate and reliable than ever before, which is an absolute must.

For example, if a person’s information was compromised during a data breach, businesses can struggle to manage and detect all of the identity theft cases. In such scenarios, selfie verification offers the needed assurance. That’s because even if a hacker has accessed sensitive data or government-issued ID details, successfully bypassing a well-implemented selfie verification process with liveness detection would be a hassle.

How Accurate is Selfie Verification?

Selfie verification is highly accurate when properly implemented. Despite that, its effectiveness can vary depending on factors such as the technology used, user cooperation, and the quality of the verification process. For example, iDenfy’s identity verification software uses a patented 3D liveness detection technology that instantly spots fraudulent verification attempts while handling large verification volumes with the highest accuracy rates.

Four steps of selfie identity verification.

Here are some examples illustrating the pros and cons of selfie verification in terms of accuracy, especially in fraud detection:

Pros

Reduced false positives. Compared to traditional verification methods that use usernames and passwords, selfie verification can significantly reduce false positives (rejecting legitimate users) and false negatives (accepting fraudulent users).
High accuracy in liveness detection. Selfie verification with liveness detection is excellent at finding the difference between a live user and a static image or video. It detects even the slightest movements, such as blinking or smiling, which are challenging to mimic with a static image.
Additional verification layers. Selfie verification can be used along with other ID verification factors like document verification and screening against criminal lists, further enhancing accuracy by providing multiple layers of verification.

Cons

Quality of selfies. The accuracy of selfie verification relies on the quality of the submitted selfies. Poor lighting, blurriness, or obscured facial features can result in false rejections or acceptances. We discuss how to avoid getting denied during the identification process here.
Algorithm biases. Unfortunately, some selfie verification systems and their facial recognition algorithms can exhibit biases, leading to inaccuracies. This concerns individuals with diverse racial or gender identities. That’s why it’s crucial to choose a robust solution with a reliable facial recognition algorithm.

What are the Use Cases For Selfie Identification Verification?

It’s commonly used in various industries since many now operate online or offer some sort of portion of their services remotely. Due to having to register new users via a proper ID verification flow, companies implement selfie ID verification processes to improve their end-user experience and pass rates. This is very important for e-commerce platforms that sell age-restricted products, for example, alcoholic beverages. The ID verification process is mandatory, and all users need to be approved with proper age and document checks before getting access to the items as a way to protect minors online.

Other industry examples for selfie verification as a common practice include:

Travel and hospitality. Hosts on platforms like Airbnb use it to verify traveler identities, ensuring guests have a genuine interest in an apartment or house.
Healthcare. Before purchasing medicine or having an online doctor’s appointment approved, patients need to confirm their personal information through KYC and selfie verification.
Financial services. This includes all traditional financial services and fintech platforms, including those that are linked to digital assets and crypto since they also manage financial transactions and need to implement strict KYC/AML measures for compliance reasons.

Adding Selfie Verification to Your KYC Flow

Typically, selfie verification serves as an additional layer of security, complementing other verification methods like document verification checks. At iDenfy, we offer multiple ID verification measures, including biometric selfie checks.

Our AI software extracts data in 0.02 seconds from 3000+ documents, along with other features:

Complete accuracy insurance with human supervision — our in-house KYC experts double-check verifications to improve accuracy and the overall customer approval rate without any unnecessary friction.
Non-bias liveness detection and anti-spoofing technology — our biometric and facial recognition algorithms guarantee the accuracy of each verification, effectively preventing the use of static images, 3D masks, and other fraudulent representations during the ID verification process.

Easily customize, integrate, and take a risk-based approach to your onboarding process by adding needed selfie checks for high-risk users. Integrate built-in AML checks to ensure complete compliance.

Read our customer success stories to see the selfie identity verification solution in action, or get started right away.