[Discuss] Google wants images of my passport, driver's license, bank statement, etc.

[bene at klatsch.org (Ben Eisenbraun)]

On Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 09:22:20AM -0400, Laura Conrad wrote:
> >>>>> "Daniel" == Daniel C <dcrookston at gmail.com> writes:
> 
>     Daniel> I don't see why you couldn't use Skype (or other videoconferencing
>     Daniel> tool of your choice) to connect with a customer service center and
>     Daniel> show them your ID, though.
> 
> Lots of people don't have a working skype setup?

Considering that Skype works on most iOS and Android devices as well as
every Windows/OS X laptop with a built-in camera, i.e. anything built in
the last 5 years, I think the number of people _without_ a working Skype
setup is the smaller set.

But we're talking about Google here, so they'd just set up a Google+
Hangout. Since you already have a Google account, you're halfway there,
and the above hardware list works for hangouts too.

I'm still not sure that would pass muster though, since it would
presumably be easier for a forged document to pass being held up to a
crappy webcam spitting out compressed video over a jittery, consumer
internet connection.

Probably what Google should do is start capturing keystroke dynamics in
their HTML form fields for logged in users and slowly build a database
of biometric information for their users. Ah, then they can do some
facial and voice recognition when people are using hangouts, put all the
information together and identify and authenticate everyone/everywhere/all 
the time!

You are information; you will be organized.</GOOG>

-ben

--
there is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the 
proportion.                                        <francis bacon>