Pixel 4's 'Face Unlock' Works Even If You're Asleep or Dead -- and That's a Problem
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Pixel 4's 'Face Unlock' works even if you're asleep or dead -- and that's a problem
Google's new Pixel 4 smartphone doesn't have a fingerprint sensor. Instead it relies on "Face Unlock," a proprietary facial scanning system similar to the one found in Apple's Face ID. Early reports show a system that works well, perhaps too well, in fact, according to some security experts.
To unlock a Pixel, the operator must hold it up to their face while onboard cameras and sensors go to work scanning their mug for defining characteristics - the distance between your eyes, for example. Once the device is confident it's you, it unlocks and allows you to access the operating system.
With Google's system, according to the BBC, the Pixel's Face Unlock function works even if a user's eyes are closed, a clear and security risk for anyone with a Pixel 4. Using default settings, users who are asleep, or even dead, could unknowingly unlock their phone for others.
According to Google representatives, "Pixel 4 Face Unlock meets the security requirements as a strong biometric." True, but this in and of itself might not be enough. At its launch, Pixel product manager Sherry Lin said, "There are actually only two face [authorization] solutions that meet the bar for being super-secure. So, you know, for payments, that level - it's ours and Apple's."
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