YouTube officially rolled out its likeness detection technology to eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program on Tuesday, marking a significant escalation in the platform’s fight against AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic content that misuses creator identities without consent.
The launch represents the first wave of a broader rollout following months of pilot testing, with approximately 5,000 creators receiving access emails Tuesday morning as the platform transitions from its testing phase into full deployment. YouTube plans to expand the tool to all monetized creators globally by January 2026.
The detection system works similarly to YouTube’s Content ID copyright tool, automatically scanning uploaded videos to identify AI-generated content featuring a creator’s face or voice. Once flagged, creators can review detected videos through a dedicated “Likeness” tab in their dashboard and choose to submit removal requests under YouTube’s privacy guidelines, file copyright claims, or archive the content for record-keeping.
To access the tool, creators must complete a stringent identity verification process that includes scanning a QR code with their smartphone, uploading a government-issued photo ID, and recording a brief selfie video. YouTube typically reviews these submissions within a few days before granting access.
“This is the number-one concern we hear from creators,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in a recent interview, describing the system as providing creators control over how their identity is used online.
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