Amazon Palm Print: Get $10 Credit for Biometric Data

The Value of Your Palm Print to Amazon

What monetary value does your palm print hold? According to Amazon, approximately $10 in promotional credit is offered in exchange for enrolling your palm prints within their checkout-free stores and associating them with your Amazon account.

Introduction of Amazon One

Last year marked the introduction of Amazon One, Amazon’s new system utilizing biometric palm print scanners. This technology allows customers to make purchases in select stores simply by presenting their palm print to a scanner.

Initially, the deployment of these palm scanners was focused on Amazon grocery, bookstore, and 4-star locations throughout Seattle.

Expansion Across the United States

Amazon has subsequently broadened the availability of its biometric scanning technology to stores nationwide. This includes locations in states such as New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Texas.

How Palm Scanning Works

The retail and cloud computing giant explains that its palm scanning hardware functions by capturing intricate details of the palm. This includes both surface characteristics like lines and ridges, as well as deeper, subcutaneous features such as vein patterns.

These captured details are then used to create a unique “palm signature,” which is securely stored in the cloud for identity verification when a customer is present in a participating store.

Data Usage and Implications

What is the precise purpose behind Amazon’s collection of this data? While a single palm print may not reveal much, Amazon acknowledges utilizing an unspecified “subset” of anonymized palm data to refine and enhance the technology itself.

However, linking the palm print to an existing Amazon account enables the company to leverage collected data, such as shopping habits, to deliver targeted advertising, personalized offers, and tailored recommendations over time.

Data Retention Policies

Amazon states that palm data is retained indefinitely, unless a user actively chooses to delete it. Deletion is possible once all pending transactions are resolved, or if the feature remains unused for a period of two years.

Concerns and Past Controversies

Although contactless palm print scanning for payments may appear innovative, particularly during a pandemic, it warrants careful consideration and a degree of skepticism. This is especially true given Amazon’s history with biometric technology development.

Amazon’s previous facial recognition technology, which was previously offered to police and law enforcement agencies, faced legal challenges alleging violations of state laws concerning the use of personal biometric data without explicit consent.

Expert Commentary

“The dystopian visions of science fiction are becoming reality. It’s alarming that Amazon is essentially asking individuals to trade their biometric data, and even more concerning that people are willing to do so for such a minimal reward,” stated Albert Fox Cahn, Executive Director of the New York-based Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, in correspondence with TechCrunch.

Biometric data represents a unique form of tracking, as it is nearly impossible to alter. “You can change your name, or even your Social Security number, but your palm print remains constant. Normalizing these practices makes them increasingly difficult to challenge. Failure to establish boundaries now could lead to a troubling future,” Cahn added.

Amazon's Response

When contacted for a statement, an Amazon spokesperson declined to provide a comment.