--- title: "In-Your-Face Security Through Selfies" id: "35473" type: "post" slug: "in-your-face-security-through-selfies" published_at: "2016-10-17T21:13:48+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:48:05+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/10/17/in-your-face-security-through-selfies/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/10/17/in-your-face-security-through-selfies.md" excerpt: "The growing appeal of using selfies as a form of security—and the weaknesses of such a strategy. Also: Slack’s weaknesses as a community platform." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "identity theft" - "IT security" - "selfies" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » In-Your-Face Security Through Selfies Passwords can be insecure or hard to remember. Two-factor authentication can be annoying. And fingerprint scanners aren’t as common as they should be quite yet. But you know a device that *is* pretty common? Your smartphone’s selfie camera. [According to The Wall Street Journal (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-try-out-selfies-as-password-alternatives-1476661046) , selfies are gaining currency as a potential way to prove someone’s identity. Rather than throwing in a password, you’d take a picture of yourself, whether through a webcam or a smartphone camera. The newspaper reports that firms as diverse as Uber, MasterCard, and the Alabama Department of Revenue are using selfies as a form of identification. While the approach is interesting and has potential benefits, some security and privacy experts raise concerns about its accuracy and what consumers have to give away when taking such photos. Marc Goodman, a security expert interviewed by the *Journal*‘s Trisha Thadani, suggested that the use of selfies isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. “People see this technology and presume that it is automatically safe, but in the end, it all just comes down to math,” Goodman told the newspaper. “There is nothing safer about [facial recognition], except that it rules out the challenges of password management.” ### Where Slack Doesn’t Make Sense > Should You Move Your Community To Slack?[https://t.co/GjIXrFXKc6 (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/GjIXrFXKc6) > [#cmgr (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/cmgr?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#esn (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/esn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Richard Millington (@RichMillington) [October 17, 2016 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/RichMillington/status/787994184066166784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **In recent months, the prospect of turning Slack** into something of a member benefit [has been promising for some organizations](http://associationsnow.com/2016/08/wednesday-buzz-slack-member-benefit-maybe/) . In particular, there’s the story of Gimlet Media, the podcasting firm that juiced engagement by opening up its company’s Slack channel to subscribers. Rich Millington of FeverBee says that “when a sense of community is king, Slack is your castle.” But he points out an area where Slack doesn’t make as much sense: when the goal is to turn your community into a knowledge base. “The same questions might be repeated endlessly. Knowledge is lost once it rolls off the edge of the top of the page,” [Millington notes in his most recent blog post (opens in a new tab)](https://www.feverbee.com/move-to-slack/) . “You lose your search traffic (which accounts for 70%+ traffic in many communities). It’s harder to shine attention on your stars or build content on top of it.” Some definite food for thought. ### Other Links of Note **Wannabe a Gmail power user?** Check out [this list of tips from Lifehacker (opens in a new tab)](http://lifehacker.com/top-10-gmail-tips-for-power-users-1787627908) . **Dropbox Paper is a fascinating choice** for team collaboration, and it’s constantly improving. Last week, the company introduced a bevy of new collaboration features. [Read about them on the company’s blog (opens in a new tab)](https://blogs.dropbox.com/dropbox/2016/10/get-on-the-same-page-with-dropbox-paper/) . **Convincing new donors to give you a chance** can be like pulling teeth. Maybe the solution requires some psychology savvy. [The startup Classy has a few ideas (opens in a new tab)](https://www.classy.org/blog/6-fundraising-psychology-hacks/) for boosting your psychological pitch. Your next selfie could log you in. No, really. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#identity theft](https://associationsnow.com/tag/identity-theft/) [#IT security](https://associationsnow.com/tag/it-security/) [#selfies](https://associationsnow.com/tag/selfies/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2016%2F10%2F17%2Fin-your-face-security-through-selfies%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !