ALPHABET

Google warns that the Pixel 4 can be unlocked with your eyes closed; perhaps even by someone who just looks like you too

The Pixel 4 series only uses face unlock for biometric authentication; it is that secure. Or is it? Well, a video of a device unlocking closed eyes suggests otherwise, as does the possibility of someone who merely looks "a lot like you" authenticating payments with your face data. Is the face unlock on the Pixel 4 series not so secure after all?
Google has gone all in on facial recognition for the Pixel 4 series, making it the only form of biometric authentication on its latest smartphones. While the company promises that the date of your face, encrypted by the onboard Titan M6 security chip, is "secure enough for payments and app unlocks", it appears that it can be abused fairly easily.
According to a screenshot tweeted by BBC News reporter Chris Fox, Google warns that face unlock on the Pixel 4 series will authenticate a registered face in the following scenarios:
'' By someone else if it's held up to your face, even if your eyes are closed.
'' By someone who looks a lot like you, say, an identical sibling. ''
Fox has demonstrated the first scenario in a video too, which you can watch below. While some people on the follow up Twitter thread have used a photo leaked by Slashleaks last month to discredit his claims, Fox insists that his review unit is running the latest retail version of Android 10. It has provided a screenshot of the submenu without the "Require eyes to be open" toggle that is present in the Slashleaks photo too, adding to the confusion.

So, it seems that Google has either disabled the setting on retail software that it had enabled on the pre-release equivalent or vice versa. If it is the former, then we expect Google could address this in a subsequent update. It would be confusing if the latter were the case, though. All should become clear when Google starts shipping devices later this month.

by Alex Alderson