Discover how Amazon’s palm scanning technology may shape the future of payment and identification systems. A revolutionizing advancement in biometric technology.
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Last year (Roth, May 2023) points out that Amazon introduced its palm-scanning technology to even more Whole Foods stores. By the end of 2023, Amazon had made it possible for you to pay for your purchases using just the palm of your hand. There are over 500 Whole Foods locations throughout the US. The palm-scanning technology is part of Amazon One. This service lets you link your Amazon account and payment information to your palm print.
I actually saw this happen live when I visited one of the Whole Foods grocery stores in Maryland. Roth says, “Once your palm print is in Amazon’s system, you can hover your palm over an Amazon One scanner, and it will charge the payment method tied to your Amazon account.” Biometrics is a technology that has been out for a while and uses computer authentication as a form of identification and access control. It is a form of surveillance.
This article is more to raise awareness of how biometrics are being used and will eventually infiltrate every aspect of our lives. Computers and mobile phones have used Face ID for years now. But having your palm connected to your bank account indirectly via making purchases seems like giving up more freedom than we currently have. Is there really no need to be concerned, or is there a reason to be concerned?
“Biometric identifiers are the distinctive, measurable characteristics used to label and describe individuals, Biometrics (2024).” The palm scanners in the Whole Foods store are excellent, but I have some reservations about the technology. This palm scan technology is being deployed nationwide in sports venues, casinos, and other recreational events. According to (Roth, May 2023), Amazon One palm scanning is “considered more private” than other forms of biometric identification.
Your palm signature uses unique ridges and lines throughout your palm to create a cloud digital ID. Unfortunately, when venues track customers’ body shapes, sizes, and palm prints without their knowledge, it opens organizations to lawsuits. Amazon One is “an identity technology, and one that could give Amazon more reach into your life than ever before and beyond to medical records, credit reports…the list can grow in time. The Narrative Matters!
References:
Biometrics. (2024). Biometrics – Wikipedia
Roth, E. (Jul 20, 2023). All 500-plus Whole Foods stores will soon let you pay with a palm scan. All 500-plus Whole Foods stores will soon let you pay with a palm scan – The Verge
Roth, E. (May 22, 2023). Amazon’s palm-scanning technology can let you buy a drink without getting out your ID. Amazon’s palm-scanning technology can let you buy a drink without getting out your ID – The Verge
#Amazon #PalmScanning #BiometricRevolution
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