Amazon is planning to put to rest the use of PINs, keyfobs, passwords and badges in the world of corporate. The online retail giant has expanded its palm-scanning technology to the business sector as it envisions employees using their palm print as a way to enter office buildings and access secure documents with a system called Amazon One Enterprise.
“The new service enables organizations to provide a fast, convenient, and contactless experience for employees and other authorized users to gain access to physical locations (e.g., data centers, office and residential buildings, airports, hotels and resorts, and educational institutions), as well as digital assets such as restricted software resources (e.g., financial data and HR records)” according to a press release.
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The company claims that previous authentication methods that involve badges and key fobs pose a risk of being “lost, shared, cloned, or stolen.” It also claims that digital methods such as PINs and passwords can be too easily “forgotten, guessable, or shared.”
“For employees, forgetting or replacing badges, PINs, and passwords can lead to frustration, wasted time, and lower productivity.” read the press release. “Organizations have tried to solve these challenges through biometric-based solutions like iris scanning and fingerprint recognition, but these solutions are not always accurate.”
The rolling out of palm-scanning technology into the business world is an expansion of the technology it introduced into Whole Foods stores across the nation in July. The technology enabled Whole Foods customers to pay for their items by hovering their palm over an Amazon One device as opposed to using their wallet or phone to make a purchase.
Amazon One Enterprise already has the thumbs up from several companies looking to implement the technology into their own businesses, some of those companies include Boon Edam, Paznic, IHG Hotels and Resorts and KONE.
The privacy debate rages on
Even though some companies are quick to sign up for Amazon One Enterprise, the biotechnology from Amazon has served as a red flag in the past for privacy and security advocates who have cited safety and invasion of privacy concerns.
For example, in 2022, when the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado planned to implement Amazon One technology in its venue so that fans could enter it without a ticket, human rights groups and music artists penned an open letter condemning the decision, claiming that the technology posed a threat to security and could hinder an enjoyable concert experience. The venue ended up ditching the technology altogether.
“Introducing this Amazon palm scanning option at venues is a slap in the face to fans and artists that have fought so hard to promote safety for everyone at live events.” read the letter. “It’s simply a matter of time before we hear of cases of palm scans misidentifying people in the ways that facial recognition has – often with violent and life altering consequences – but most concerning of all is the fact that this new technology will make the data of thousands of people vulnerable to ongoing government tracking and abuse AND malicious hackers.”
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