What is the selfie liveness check and how does it work?

What it is

The selfie liveness check is a short, automated test that proves the person submitting documents is:

1. Real (not a static photo or deepfake)
2. The same person as on the uploaded ID

It uses third-party liveness software (Onfido or Veriff, depending on your jurisdiction) — we don't process the video on our own servers; the providers are PCI/GDPR/SOC2 audited.

How it works

1. Profile → Verification → Start liveness check
2. Allow camera access in your browser
3. Hold your face in the on-screen oval
4. Follow the prompts (typically: turn head left, turn head right, blink). About 5 seconds total.
5. The video is uploaded and analyzed instantly
6. Result returns within 30 seconds

What we check (technically)

• Liveness signals — micro-movements, depth perception, light reflection patterns. Defeats photo-of-photo attacks.
• Face match score vs your uploaded ID. Threshold: 90%+ similarity.
• Document authenticity in parallel (hologram detection, font analysis on ID)

Common issues

"Failed: face doesn't match ID"

• Confirm you're using the right ID (not your spouse's, not an old one)
• Remove sunglasses, hat, mask — though glasses are usually fine
• Re-take the ID photo if the original was glare-y or low-quality
• If the ID is over 5 years old, you may have aged enough to fail facial similarity. Use a more recent ID.

"Failed: liveness check"

• You held still too long (the system thinks you're a photo)
• Lighting too dark or too backlit (window behind you)
• Webcam quality too low (try mobile phone)

Just retake. We don't penalize multiple attempts.

"Failed: document quality"

• Bad lighting, glare on the laminate
• Cropped corners
• Low-res scan instead of phone photo

Retake on phone in natural light, holding the ID flat.

What happens after passing

• Tier 1 verification is marked complete
• You can proceed to higher tiers (proof-of-address etc) if needed
• Your account status changes to Verified
• Withdrawal limits are unlocked at your tier's level

Privacy of the video

The liveness video is:

• Stored encrypted by Onfido/Veriff for 7 days then auto-deleted
• Cinoslots never receives a copy of the raw video — only the pass/fail signal + face-match score
• Per GDPR, you can request the providers to delete records earlier via their respective privacy portals

Mobile vs desktop

Mobile webcams produce better results 90% of the time. If you fail twice on desktop, switch to your phone.