Sony’s Xperia 1 flagships have looked more or less the same since 2020, but that’s finally changing with the Xperia 1 VIII, which moves to a chunky square camera island. The phone also boasts what should be a substantially improved telephoto camera, along with an AI camera assistant that looks like an improved version of Google’s Camera Coach.
Technology
Is ID.me safe to use? What you need to know
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More people are running into ID.me when trying to access government services, and it can raise questions right away. Dave from Richardson, TX, recently emailed us after seeing it required across several federal sites.
“US gov’t. sites asking to use ID.me for logon verification. VA.gov, SSA.gov and Medicare.gov, for example. Is ID.me safe to use?”
It is a fair question, especially when you are being asked to hand over sensitive personal information. Here is what you need to know before you decide to use it.
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BIOMETRIC IRIS SCANNING LAUNCHES IN US CITIES FOR DIGITAL IDENTITY
ID.me may ask users to upload a driver’s license, passport, Social Security number or selfie to verify their identity. (PixelsEffect/Getty Images)
What ID.me actually is
ID.me is a private identity verification company. It helps confirm that you are really you before letting you access certain services.
You will see it on sites tied to agencies like the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Instead of each agency verifying your identity separately, ID.me acts as a middle layer. Once you verify your identity, you can use that login across multiple services.
Why ID.me is considered safe
There are a few reasons ID.me has become so widely used.
It meets federal standards
ID.me complies with strict identity verification requirements used by government agencies. These standards are designed for handling sensitive data like benefits and tax information.
It uses strong security protections
The platform uses encryption and monitoring systems to protect your data. That includes secure storage and safeguards against unauthorized access.
It is built to prevent fraud
Identity theft and account takeovers are a growing problem. ID.me is designed to stop someone else from pretending to be you and accessing your benefits.
It is widely adopted
Major federal agencies rely on it. That level of adoption does not happen without passing multiple security checks.
3 things you should think about before using it
This is where you need to pay attention.
1) It isn’t a government agency
Even though you see it on government websites, ID.me is a private company. That matters because your data is being handled by a third party.
2) You may need to upload sensitive information
Depending on the service, you might be asked for:
- A driver’s license or passport
- Your Social Security number
- A selfie or video for facial verification
That is a lot of personal data in one place.
3) Privacy concerns do exist
Some experts have raised concerns about:
- Facial recognition technology
- Centralized storage of identity data
- How long is the data kept
ID.me says it protects this information, but it is still worth being aware of the tradeoff.
ID.me vs Login.gov: What’s the difference?
You may also see Login.gov as an option on some sites.
Here is the key difference:
- ID.me may require biometric verification, like a selfie
- Login.gov is run by the government and often avoids facial recognition
Both are secure. The choice often comes down to convenience versus how much personal data you are comfortable sharing.
Why scammers love using ID.me as bait
Here is the part most people do not expect. ID.me itself isn’t a scam. The problem is that scammers know people trust it. That makes it a perfect disguise.
Common ID.me-related scams to watch for
Because ID.me is widely trusted, it has become a target for scammers trying to fool you. Scammers rely on urgency, fear and trust to get you to act quickly without thinking.
STOP DATA BROKERS FROM SELLING YOUR INFORMATION ONLINE
ID.me is a private identity verification company used by several federal agencies to help users access sensitive government services online. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Fake “verify your account” messages
You might get an email or text that looks official.
It could say:
- Your benefits are on hold
- You need to verify your identity now
The link takes you to a fake login page that looks almost identical to the real one. Real ID.me emails come from an @id.me address. Be cautious of anything using lookalike domains like @idme.com or other variations. If you receive a password reset email you didn’t request, it could be a sign someone is trying to access your account.
Fake ID.me text messages
Scammers also send text messages that look like they are from ID.me, often using verification codes or security alerts to gain your trust.
They might say:
- “Your verification code is 123456. If this wasn’t you, click here.”
- “Suspicious activity detected. Secure your account now.”
The link can take you to a fake login page designed to steal your information.
Phony support calls
Someone claims to be from ID.me or a government agency. They might say there is suspicious activity or a problem with your account. Then they ask for your Social Security number or a verification code. That is a red flag.
No legitimate support team will ask for that information. ID.me will never ask for your password or multi-factor authentication code, even if someone claims to be support. No legitimate service will offer to set up your ID.me account for you or complete verification on your behalf.
Lookalike websites
Scammers create fake sites that mimic the real login page.
Watch for:
- Slightly misspelled web addresses
- Extra words in the URL
- Missing security indicators in your browser
The official ID.me website always ends in .me, not .com or other variations.
Account takeover attempts
If your data has been exposed in a breach, attackers may try to reset your account or intercept verification codes.
Fake or incomplete verification requests
Real ID.me verification requires creating a full account, uploading documents and sometimes completing additional steps.
Be cautious if someone only asks for a selfie, a quick video call or partial information without the full process, since scammers may try to create an account in your name.
YOU COULD BE SHARING YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER WHEN YOU DON’T NEED TO
Scammers often impersonate ID.me through fake emails, texts and lookalike websites designed to steal personal information. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to protect yourself from ID.me scams
If you plan to use ID.me, a few simple habits can go a long way in keeping your information safe and out of the wrong hands.
1) Go directly to the source
Type the website yourself instead of clicking links in emails or texts. Start from an official .gov site like the Social Security Administration or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, then log in from there.
2) Turn on strong security
Enable multi-factor authentication on your account. Use an authenticator app when possible instead of relying only on text messages, since those can be intercepted in some attacks.
3) Reduce your exposure with a data removal service
Much of what scammers use starts with personal data found online. A data removal service can help remove your information from data broker sites, making it harder for criminals to piece together enough details to target you in the first place. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
4) Never share verification codes
No legitimate agency or company will ask for your one-time verification code or password. If someone asks for it, that is a scam.
5) Slow down when you feel pressure
Scammers try to create urgency with messages like “act now” or “your benefits will be suspended.” Real government agencies do not rush you like that in a single message.
6) Check the URL carefully
Before entering any information, make sure you are on the official ID.me website or a trusted .gov page. Look for correct spelling, a secure connection and no extra words in the web address.
7) Use strong antivirus software
Strong antivirus software can help block malicious links, detect fake websites and warn you before you enter sensitive information. It adds another layer of protection if you accidentally click a suspicious link. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
8) Keep an eye on your accounts
Check your accounts regularly for unusual activity, especially after verifying your identity. The sooner you spot something off, the faster you can take action.
Kurt’s key takeaways
ID.me is a legitimate and secure tool used across the U.S. government. For most people, it is safe to use and is often required to access important services. At the same time, it asks for more personal data than many people expect. That makes it worth approaching with awareness instead of blind trust. The bigger risk usually comes from scammers pretending to be ID.me, not the platform itself. If you stay alert, use strong security settings and go directly to official websites, you can use it without putting yourself at unnecessary risk.
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As more services move toward strict identity verification, how much personal data are you willing to trade for convenience and security? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Instagram is once again cribbing from competitors like Snapchat and BeReal with a new photo-sharing format it calls “Instants,” which are ephemeral photos that you can’t edit and that you can only share with your close friends or followers that follow you back. Instants are available globally beginning on Wednesday as a feature in the inbox in the Instagram app and as a separate app that’s now in testing in select countries.
To access Instants from the Instagram app, go to your DM inbox and look in the bottom-right corner for an icon or a stack of photos. After you post a photo, your friends can emoji react to it and send a reply to your DMs, but after they see it, the photo disappears for them. Instants also disappear after 24 hours, and they can’t be captured in screenshots or screen recordings.
However, your Instants will remain in an archive for you for up to a year, and you can reshare them as a recap to your Instagram Stories if you’d like. You can also undo sending an Instant right after you post it or delete it from your archive.
The Instants mobile app, which popped up in Italy and Spain in April, gives you “immediate access to the camera” and only requires an Instagram account, Instagram says. “Instants you share on the separate app will show up for friends on Instagram and vice versa. We’re trying this separate app out to see how our community uses it, and we’ll continue to evolve it as we learn more.”
Instagram, in its testing, has seen that people “tend to use Instants to share much more casual, much more authentic moments about their day,” according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. “And we know that this type of sharing of personal moments with friends is a core part of what makes Instagram Instagram, but we also know that a lot of people don’t really share a lot to their profile grids anymore.”
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Angela Lipps says she has never been to North Dakota. She says she had never even been on an airplane. That didn’t stop the U.S. marshals from showing up at her home in Tennessee and arresting her.
Lipps, a 50-year-old grandmother of five from Elizabethton, Tennessee, was taken into custody in July 2025 in connection with a bank fraud case more than 1,000 miles away in Fargo, North Dakota. She was not released until around Christmas Eve, meaning she spent more than five months in custody before the case was dismissed.
Investigators had used facial recognition software to compare surveillance images from the bank fraud case with photos of Lipps from her driver’s license and social media. The result, according to her defense attorney, was a case that never should have gone this far.
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HOW SURVEILLANCE TECH LED POLICE TO ACCUSE THE WRONG PERSON
A Tennessee grandmother says a facial recognition match helped lead to her arrest in a North Dakota bank fraud case. (Fargo Police Department)
How facial recognition led police to Angela Lipps
The case began with bank fraud reports in Fargo and nearby West Fargo. Police were looking for a suspect who allegedly used a false military ID to take money from accounts.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and used facial recognition technology to search for a possible match. Then-Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski has described the tool as “an AI function through the North Dakota State Intelligence Center.”
Jay Greenwood, the Fargo defense attorney appointed to represent Lipps, joined our “CyberGuy Report” podcast at CyberGuyPodcast.com to explain how a facial recognition lead helped set the case in motion. His warning was simple: police can use facial recognition as a tool, but they still need to verify what the technology claims. Greenwood said the images used in the case were not exactly crystal clear.
“They had security footage of some terribly placed security cameras from above,” Greenwood said. “And they had a couple of still images, poor still images from these cameras that they sent to a company to do facial recognition.”
That search pointed investigators to Lipps. Greenwood said detectives then looked at her social media pages and moved forward with the case. “They did not do any other investigation prior to her arrest in bringing her to North Dakota,” Greenwood said. Police then sought an arrest warrant. Lipps was arrested in Carter County, Tennessee, and held as a fugitive from justice.
Grandmother arrested at gunpoint while babysitting
Lipps says U.S. marshals arrested her at gunpoint while she was babysitting young children. She was taken to a local jail in Elizabethton, Tennessee, while she waited to be extradited to North Dakota.
Greenwood said Lipps told authorities from the beginning that she had never been to North Dakota. “She told them I’d never been to North Dakota. I’ve never been on an airplane,” Greenwood said. “She really doesn’t leave the 100- to 200-mile radius of Elizabethton ever.”
Still, Lipps remained in jail for months. Fargo Police Chief Travis Stefonowicz told CyberGuy that the department’s review found Lipps was arrested in Tennessee on July 14, 2025, and held on a probation violation.
“Tennessee authorities notified the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on October 20, 2025, that Ms. Lipps had a waiver of extradition to North Dakota and was available for transport to the Cass County Jail,” Stefonowicz said.
Stefonowicz said Fargo Police could not determine from available information why Lipps remained in Tennessee custody for as long as she did before being transported to North Dakota.
“We have been unable to determine based on available information if the length of time Ms. Lipps was in jail in Tennessee before being transported to North Dakota was due to serving time for a probation violation or if it was because she fought extradition,” Stefonowicz said.
Greenwood said she fought extradition and waited in Tennessee before she was taken to North Dakota around Halloween. “Gave her her first ever plane ticket, ever plane ride,” Greenwood said. “And she spent it in custody, flying to North Dakota.”
A woman who says she had never flown before got her first plane ride in custody, headed to fight charges in a state she says she had never visited.
Fargo police respond to facial recognition concerns
Stefonowicz was appointed interim chief on March 30 after former Chief Dave Zibolski retired on March 27. Fargo Police said Zibolski’s retirement was family-related and unrelated to this case. Stefonowicz was officially selected as Fargo’s next police chief during the Fargo City Commission meeting on May 11.
In a statement to CyberGuy, Stefonowicz said the arrest warrant reflected that prosecutors and a judge had found probable cause.
“The Fargo Police Department takes the civil rights and due process of all individuals involved in our investigations very seriously. Regarding the case of Ms. Lipps, the issuance of an arrest warrant indicated that the Cass County State’s Attorney and a judge determined probable cause existed for the charges,” Stefonowicz said.
He said the charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled if additional investigation supports doing so.
“This remains an ongoing investigation, and we are still working to verify and corroborate information to determine, definitively, who was and was not involved in this home equity loan bank fraud scheme,” Stefonowicz said.
Fargo Police also clarified that the department does not own facial recognition technology or contract directly with vendors that provide it.
“However, there are state and national law enforcement intelligence centers that incorporate facial recognition technology and are used by agencies across the country, including in our state,” Stefonowicz said. “On occasion, FPD investigators may submit inquiries to those intelligence centers, in order to help generate leads through facial recognition for potential suspects or persons of interest in local investigations.”
That distinction matters. Fargo Police says it does not run facial recognition in-house, but investigators may still use outside intelligence centers to generate leads. That puts the focus back on what guardrails exist before those leads support an arrest.
That response adds an important caveat. Lipps’ defense says she was wrongly accused and later cleared by basic records. Fargo Police say the case remains open and investigators are still trying to determine who was involved.
AMAZON ADDS CONTROVERSIAL AI FACIAL RECOGNITION TO RING
Lipps says she lost her home, car, reputation and dog after spending months behind bars in a case tied to facial recognition technology. (Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Basic records helped clear Angela Lipps
Once Greenwood got involved, he started looking for proof of where Lipps had been during the alleged bank fraud. The answer came from everyday records. Her family sent bank records showing activity near her home in Tennessee during the same period Fargo authorities claimed she was in North Dakota.
The records showed her depositing Social Security checks and making local purchases. “She was in Elizabethton and the surrounding communities depositing her Social Security checks,” Greenwood said. “Buying Ubers, cigarettes, gas, all that stuff.”
Greenwood said he forwarded the records to the state’s attorney. After a police interview, the case was dismissed. Lipps was released on Christmas Eve.
Fargo Police gave CyberGuy a more detailed timeline. Stefonowicz said Lipps made her first court appearance in North Dakota on Oct. 31, 2025, but the detective assigned to the case did not learn she was in custody in North Dakota until Dec. 5.
“Because she had legal representation, attorney consent was required before our detectives could interview her,” Stefonowicz said. “An interview was first granted by Ms. Lipps’s defense attorney on December 19, 2025.”
After that interview, Stefonowicz said Fargo Police determined that further investigation was needed.
“On December 23, 2025, the FPD detective, the Cass County State’s Attorney and the presiding judge mutually agreed to dismiss the charges without prejudice to allow for additional investigation,” Stefonowicz said. “Ms. Lipps was subsequently released from the Cass County Jail on December 24, 2025.”
By then, she says the damage was already done. She says she lost her home, her car, her reputation and her dog while she was locked up.
Fargo police adopted a facial recognition policy
Fargo Police said it conducted a comprehensive internal review after the case. Stefonowicz said former Chief Dave Zibolski addressed the investigation at a March 24 news conference.
“With respect to this case, we have conducted a comprehensive internal review,” Stefonowicz said. “During a news conference on March 24, former Chief of Police Dave Zibolski addressed areas where our initial investigation could have been more complete and emphasized that further work is required to fully understand who was and was not involved in this scheme.”
Fargo Police has since adopted a formal facial recognition technology policy. Stefonowicz said the department did not previously have a standalone policy because Fargo Police does not conduct facial recognition analysis, provide that service to other agencies or maintain in-house facial recognition technology.
“We have since adopted a formal policy for facial recognition technology (FRT) use for our agency,” Stefonowicz said.
He said the case prompted Fargo Police leadership to revisit that approach.
“This case has prompted FPD leadership to re-evaluate that approach related to having a specific FRT policy,” Stefonowicz said. “FPD Policy 610, which formally establishes parameters and expectations for the use of FRT, was published as of Wednesday, March 25.”
That policy change matters because it shows the case prompted Fargo Police to formalize how investigators may use facial recognition leads, even when the department does not run the technology itself.
Why facial recognition mistakes are so dangerous
Facial recognition can help generate leads. However, critics warn that it can also produce false matches, especially when image quality is poor or the system compares faces against massive databases.
Some systems pull from public photos online, including social media images and other public-facing photos. That means many people may appear in search databases without realizing it.
Greenwood said police need to treat the technology as one investigative tool, not a shortcut around basic detective work.
“I’ve told numerous people, like, it’s a tool,” Greenwood said. “It should be one of the tools that law enforcement can use.”
Then he explained what needs to happen next. “They’ve got to learn to use the other tools to verify what they’re being told by this machine,” Greenwood said.
That is the key issue. A facial recognition hit should push investigators to ask more questions. It should never end the conversation.
Other facial recognition wrongful arrest cases
Angela Lipps is not the first person to say facial recognition helped put them in handcuffs. Other cases have involved people wrongfully arrested after software produced a mistaken match. Civil liberties groups have also warned that facial recognition systems can perform worse on some groups, including darker-skinned men and women.
That raises a serious question for every police department using this technology. What safeguards exist before a person gets arrested? A bad match on a screen can turn into a search warrant and jail time. For Lipps, that risk became painfully real.
9 ONLINE PRIVACY RISKS YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT
The Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Fargo, North Dakota, is pictured next to Angela Lipps’ mugshot. Lipps, a Tennessee grandmother, says she spent more than five months in custody after facial recognition linked her to a North Dakota bank fraud case. (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge via Getty Images / Fargo Police Department)
Ways to stay safe from facial recognition mistakes
Most people will never face anything like this. Still, the Lipps case shows how your digital footprint can follow you in ways you may never expect.
1) Say nothing until you speak with a lawyer
If law enforcement contacts you about something you did not do, do not try to talk your way out of it. Stay calm and ask for an attorney. Even innocent people can say something that gets misunderstood.
2) Keep records that show where you were
Bank transactions, receipts, phone location records, work schedules and medical appointments can help establish where you were on a certain date. You do not need to track every moment of your life. However, basic digital records can help if a serious mistake ever happens.
3) Review your public photos online
Check what photos you post publicly. Also, look at tagged photos from friends and family. Your face can appear online even when you did not post the picture yourself.
4) Remove personal information from data broker sites
Data broker sites collect and sell personal details. A data removal service can help remove your information from these databases. You can also do it manually, but it takes time, and the information can reappear. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
5) Ask police and lawmakers about police AI rules
Your city or state may already use facial recognition tools. Ask what rules police must follow before they use an AI match in a criminal case. At a minimum, departments should require independent evidence before an arrest.
What facial recognition mistakes mean for you
AI can help investigators move faster, but speed creates risk when people skip basic steps. Police still need records, timelines and common sense. Facial recognition can make mistakes. It can misread poor images. It can point to the wrong person. And when that happens, the consequences do not stay on a screen. They show up at someone’s front door.
Kurt’s key takeaways
This case should make every police department pause. Facial recognition may help find leads, but it should never be enough to upend someone’s life. Angela Lipps says she lost months behind bars for a crime she did not commit in a state she had never visited. Her attorney says basic records later helped prove she was in Tennessee. That should have happened before spending months in jail. Greenwood summed up the case this way: “Ridiculous case never should have happened.” Technology can help police solve crimes. But when a computer match replaces real detective work, innocent people can pay the price. For the full conversation with Angela Lipps’ defense attorney and more on how this case unfolded, listen to the “CyberGuy Report” podcast at CyberGuyPodcast.com.
If a facial recognition match can help send a grandmother to jail, what guardrails should every police department be forced to follow before someone loses their freedom? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
While every previous Xperia 1 phone has had three vertical cameras, and the last six have positioned them in the same top-left corner spot, the 1 VIII mixes things up. The three lenses are now laid out in a square block, together with the flash and a Sony logo, that’s raised from the phone but slopes towards its edge. It’s a little bit iPhone, but more closely resembles the design of some of Motorola’s recent Edge phones, though with an angularity that feels distinct to Sony. It’s the main part of an overdue design refresh, blowing fresh air into Sony’s slick, but now slightly stale, aesthetic. It’s a surprise too, not least because it doesn’t at all match the Xperia 10 VII, which also got a whole new look recently, but adopted a horizontal camera bar instead.
The Xperia 1 VIII is available in four colors: black, silver, red, and a gold that’s exclusive to Sony’s online store. There’s a subtle texturing to the camera island, the frosted glass back, and the aluminum edges, along with a knurled finish on the dedicated camera shutter button. Like previous Sony phones there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack too, plus a microSD slot and a combined IP65/68 resistance rating (this used to be the best around, though has since been bested by a number of IP68/69 phones).
1/3
The redesign may be overdue aesthetically, but it probably serves practical purpose too, allowing Sony to fit in a substantially larger sensor for the phone’s telephoto lens. The 1/1.56-inch-type sensor here is almost four times larger than the Xperia 1 VII’s, much bigger than either Apple or Samsung’s best, and close in size to those found in the Vivo X300 Ultra and Xiaomi 17 Ultra. With a relatively fast f/2.8 aperture and 48-megapixel resolution, this 70mm-equivalent lens could be one of the best telephotos around, so long as Sony nails the processing. The only downside is that to fit in the larger sensor, Sony has given up on the continuous optical zoom found on its last four flagships — just as Xiaomi has copied the feature in its own 17 Ultra.
The telephoto is joined by main and ultrawide cameras, both 48-megapixel and essentially unchanged from the previous phone. The camera system as a whole has been improved with a new RAW multi-frame processing pipeline, better bokeh, and updated macro shooting that’s been incorporated into the default camera mode and now supports autofocus too.
The other big camera upgrade is an AI camera assistant. When you’re preparing to take a photo, this will suggest different options for filters, framing, and which lens to use, together with more fine-tuned tweaks like brightening the photo’s subject, but not its background. The suggestions pop up before you take a photo, though Sony says you can turn the feature off entirely if you prefer. It seems much more powerful than the rather basic AI Camera Coach functionality on Google’s Pixel 10 phones, though I suspect many will prefer the fact that Google’s mode must be activated manually, while Sony’s appears to be on by default.
Sony has packed in a few other upgrades too. There are new full-stage stereo speakers, apparently tuned together with Sony Pictures and Sony Music, which are clearer and louder than before. The 5,000mAh battery and 30W charging are unchanged, though Sony says the phone will last an hour longer than before thanks to a few optimizations under the hood. It’s now powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage (though only in the online-only gold finish). One big downside is that it will only receive four years of OS updates, and six of security patches, fewer than almost any other comparable flagship.
The Xperia 1 VIII starts from £1,399 / €1,499 (about $1,765) for the standard model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The 16GB / 1TB model is a punchy £1,849 / €1,999 ($2,355). The phone is available to order now in Europe and Asia, but Sony has no plans for a North American launch.
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