Originally Posted by bearchemist

I moved to Germany one year ago and can verify that this kind of identification process is not uncommon. When you attempt to open a bank account through internet (N26, Commdirect, etc.) or activate pre-paid SIM card you purchased from supermarket, the easiest way for personal identification is through video chat and people are asked to hold their ID next to their face. So, definitely not a new thing for expats. Although it is probably more secure through (hopefully) encoded video feed than merely sending a photo over without any watermarks.