TikTok has begun testing an opt-in tool that scans the platform for AI-generated content using a creator’s likeness without their consent. 

TikTok U.S. spokesperson Zachary Kizer told The Verge that the feature called “Likeness Detection” is being tested with “some” U.S. creators. Social media consultant Matt Navarra first spotted the rollout and shared it on X.

Source: Matt Navarra

To use the tool, creators must first verify their identities through Jumio, a third-party verification company, completing a real-time selfie scan and an ID check. According to onboarding screens for the feature, TikTok then searches AI-generated content for the creator’s likeness, and creators can review flagged posts and accounts and report any that use their image without permission.

Kizer said the verification data is handled narrowly. “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,” he said. The platform’s disclosure language accompanying the feature notes that the face-related data used to verify identity and search for matches may constitute biometric data under applicable law.

Once a creator completes verification, TikTok’s system scans newly uploaded content for potential matches and surfaces them for review. Creators can then report unauthorized posts or accounts directly through the tool.

TikTok’s test follows a nearly identical tool YouTube has already built out. YouTube introduced its own Likeness Detection feature in beta last October, modeling it on the mechanics of its existing Content ID system but applying the matching logic to faces rather than copyrighted audio and video. YouTube’s version also requires creators to submit a government ID and a video selfie, with setup taking up to five days to complete. The platform has since expanded the tool beyond its original beta group, making it available to all adult users.

TikTok has not disclosed a timeline for expanding Likeness Detection beyond the current test group or specified how many creators are currently participating.

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