Why am I being asked to complete a liveness check?

A liveness check is a fast, in-the-moment security step that confirms the real you is behind a sensitive action not someone who has gained access to your account or device. You'll be guided through capturing a real-time selfie using your device's camera, and occasionally asked to also capture a photo of your government-issued ID.

Think of it as an extra lock that only you can open. It's a form of step-up authentication: an additional check we add on top of your password and 2FA when the situation calls for stronger assurance that it's really you.

No. This is an important distinction.

• Identity verification is the one-time process of verifying your identity when you set up or upgrade your account, as required by financial regulations.

• A liveness check is a security measure that can happen after you're already verified, when you attempt a sensitive action. You are not being re-verified or asked to prove your eligibility again — we're simply confirming that the person taking the action is you.
  

In short: being asked for a liveness check does not mean there is a problem with your account or your verification status. It's a routine way we help keep your account safe.

You may be prompted to complete a liveness check when you attempt an action that is sensitive or higher-risk, such as changing key account or security settings, or other actions where we want extra assurance that the request is genuinely coming from you.

We may also prompt a check at our discretion as part of our ongoing efforts to protect your account from unauthorized access, account takeovers, and fraud.

Depending on the action and the level of assurance needed, you may be asked to provide either:

• A selfie — a real-time photo of your face captured by your device's camera, or

• A government-issued ID and a selfie — a photo of your ID document together with a real-time selfie.
  

For security reasons, photos must be captured live using your device's camera and cannot be uploaded from your camera roll or gallery. To help your check succeed on the first try:

• Make sure you're in a well-lit place, with no harsh backlighting or shadows on your face.

• Remove hats, sunglasses, or anything covering your face.

• Look directly at the camera and follow the on-screen prompts.

• You may need to grant Kraken access to your device's camera in your device settings.

There are two things you can do to make future challenges less likely:

1. Complete the liveness check when prompted. When you successfully complete a check on a device, that device moves into a higher trust status. Trusted devices are less likely to be prompted for the same type of check again, so the experience gets smoother over time the more you use Kraken from a device you control.

2. Enable a passkey as your two-factor authentication (2FA). Passkeys protect your account against a wide range of account takeover attempts, including phishing — one of the most common ways accounts are compromised. Because passkey-protected accounts are significantly more secure, they are less likely to be challenged.

Our recommendation: if you're prompted for a liveness check, complete it — and then enable a passkey on your account. Together, a trusted device and a passkey are the best way to keep your account secure while minimizing how often you'll be asked to verify again.

For corporate accounts, only individuals we have on file as authorized account accessors or Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) are permitted to complete a liveness check.

If you operate the account but are not registered as an authorized account accessor or UBO, you won't be able to complete this flow yourself. In that case, an authorized account accessor or UBO will need to complete the liveness check on the account's behalf.

If you believe the list of authorized accessors or UBOs on your corporate account needs to be updated, please contact our Support Team.

Yes. We know that sharing your face or identity document can feel sensitive, and we treat that data with the utmost care.

• We verify against information you've already provided. Where possible, we check your submission against the identity (KYC) data already on file for your account, rather than asking you to start from scratch.

• Any new data is handled under our Privacy Policy. Any new information retained as part of a liveness check is processed and protected in line with the Kraken Privacy Policy, which you can review at kraken.com/legal/privacy.

• Your data is encrypted and used only for verification. Biometric data is collected solely for identity-verification purposes and is encrypted. Liveness checks are completed through our verification partner, Persona.

If you have additional questions about how your information is handled, we encourage you to review our Privacy Policy.

A liveness check requires a camera. If you're on a desktop or laptop that doesn't have one, we recommend completing the check on a mobile device with a camera instead. Sign in to your Kraken account on your phone, retry the action, and follow the on-screen prompts to capture your selfie.

If your liveness check isn't successful, try the following:

• Retake the photo in clearer lighting and make sure your camera lens is clean.

• Remove any accessories that obscure your face.

• Follow the on-screen prompts to make slight movements or adjust your position.

• Try again on a different device with a camera if possible — newer smartphones often capture higher-quality images.

• Make sure your Kraken app is updated to the latest version.

If you're still unable to complete the check, our Support Team can help.