What We Found with OpenAI's Codex CLI Tool

Snyk

Jul 28, 2025

In this video, I explore OpenAI’s Codex CLI tool to see how powerful it really is for coding with AI. But things quickly go off the rails… what started as a simple test ended with a surprise identity verification request.

Apparently, to continue using the tool, I need to submit a government-issued ID and a photo of myself—something I didn’t expect at all. I talk through the process, show the error I ran into, and share my honest thoughts on this level of access and how invasive it feels for a developer tool.

If you're considering using Codex CLI or just curious how OpenAI’s dev tools actually work, this might save you some headaches.

Use Snyk for free to find and fix security issues in your applications today! https://snyk.co/ugLYn

✍️ Resources ✍️

⏲️ Chapters ⏲️

00:00 - Intro

00:36 - Announcement video

01:12 - Running Codex

01:43 - How to switch models

01:59 - Stream error

02:51 - Invasive identity verification

03:36 - Reason for verification

05:17 - **VERIFICATION UPDATE**

07:23 - Outro

⚒️ About Snyk ⚒️

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