How It Works
Creators who want to use the tool must first verify their identity through Jumio, a third-party identity verification company. The process involves a real-time selfie scan and a government ID check. Kizer told The Verge that “TikTok does not retain ID documents, and facial information is used only for likeness matching and to help identify potential unauthorized uses of a creator’s likeness”. Ttheverge
Once verified, TikTok’s system scans AI-generated content across the platform for potential matches with a creator’s face. Creators can then review flagged content and report posts or accounts they believe are impersonating them. Ddigitaltrends
Playing Catch-Up With YouTube
The move places TikTok in direct competition with Alphabet Inc.-owned YouTube, which has been developing similar protections since 2024. YouTube expanded its likeness detection tool to all users over 18 in May, after gradually rolling it out to creators, government officials, journalists, and entertainment industry professionals. YouTube’s system works similarly, requiring a selfie-style facial scan and government ID verification before monitoring uploaded content for unauthorized deepfakes. Ttheverge
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The tools arrive as AI-generated impersonation content proliferates across social platforms. A June 2026 study by Kapwing found that roughly 60 percent of TikTok videos now classify as AI-generated content, while the EU AI Act’s transparency rules requiring machine-readable markers on AI outputs become enforceable on August 2. Mmemeburn
TikTok has not announced when the likeness detection feature will become broadly available beyond its current test group.
