Amazon Patent Would Let You Pay By Using a Selfie

[John Keefer]

Amazon Patent Would Let You Pay By Using a Selfie

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Use that million dollar smile of yours to pay for your $5 online purchase.

Doesn't get frustrating sometimes trying to remember all your passwords for online banking or e-commerce? Yes, we have password managers, but things just seem to be getting more complicated as hacking gets more sophisticated.

Amazon is hoping to remedy that by letting people take a selfie to pay for their online purchases, at least if they are granted the patent they are seeking [http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=20160071111.PGNR.] for their selfie technology.

The idea behind it is that storing passwords on your mobile device can be problematic if the phone is ever lost or stolen. And turning away from friends to enter your password can be a bit embarrassing. So taking a selfie as a way of authentication would make for safer identification and better cybersecurity. In addition, the tech would prompt the user to do something like "blink your right eye," which would help preclude would-be thieves from holding up a static picture in front of the camera during the facial recognition process.

This isn't the first time that this has been proposed, as Alibaba chairman Jack Ma rolling out its own system [http://recode.net/2015/03/16/alibabas-jack-ma-demos-pay-with-your-face-technology/] in the next few months.

Source: Re/Code [http://recode.net/2016/03/14/amazon-wants-the-patent-for-pay-by-selfie/]

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[The Enquirer]

This wasn't nearly as interesting as the title lead me to believe. That said I remember hearing something about this a while ago. It had something to do with using the camera on your phone to identify using with facial recognition software then blinking to make sure it isn't a picture.

 

[Luminous_Umbra]

And here come the inevitable jokes that misconstrue the meaning of the title for humor.

But seriously, this seems like a pretty decent idea. Especially with the requirement of blinking/etc.

 

[Dominic Crossman]

I honestly, no joke, thought the title meant something along the lines of take 37 selfies for a mars bar or something like that. I feel slightly foolish in hindsight.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

How adaptable is the tech though? I don't really want to have to (in effect) reset my password every time I shave my beard or get a haircut.

[sub][sub](And yes, I know this would be an optional thing, I'm just interested to see how forgiving current facial recognition software is.)[/sub][/sub]

 

[Zhukov]

I await the first instance of someone losing access to their email after getting a nose job.

 

[Robeltu]

It isn't foolproof, I remember when my Dad first got a phone with facial recognition and we unlocked it with a picture of him at the pub. I'll stick to my password thank you

 

[Scarim Coral]

Wait, it isn't April Fools yet!

OT- Yeah, it's not gonna work like for one thing, what if you buying something during the night? You have to have a decent light source to view your face properly?

Even then what about someone making some face mask of the person to make the payment. Yes I know that sound stupid but I'm sure someone will make something to make a payment without needing the actual person face).

 

[Lucane]

The best option would be to still have a password option if lighting or other obstructions occur at rare times like in a costume, make-up, medical gear, recently injured or etc. would mean your face isn't what "you" should appear to be or your light doesn't work.

 

[Lucane]

Wait, it isn't April Fools yet!

OT- Yeah, it's not gonna work like for one thing, what if you buying something during the night? You have to have a decent light source to view your face properly?

Even then what about someone making some face mask of the person to make the payment yes I know that sound stupid but I'm sure someone will make something to make a payment without needing the actual person face).

I think the idea is you save your payment info to your phone or what have you and authorize selfie mood then it unlocks your payment method with showing the details to anyone so it would mean they'd need to know the payment info as well or still the device you're using. provided pictures don't work (maybe they could but for now...) then making a mask of the person of the device you stole be easy enough to get images of if it's already on the device otherwise celebrities and twins and such shouldn't use the software probably.

 

[Jadak]

It isn't foolproof, I remember when my Dad first got a phone with facial recognition and we unlocked it with a picture of him at the pub. I'll stick to my password thank you

Technology improves, that's about all there is to say on that point.

But on that note, technological progress that helps with facial recognition creates its own risks and modern tech is already available supporting real time digital face masking, completely nullifying this as a secure option.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

I've always found it rather stupid that you can basically just say "a new thing that does a something" and you now own the patent without having to actually develop anything.

 

[Briggins]

I'm calling it now, the ToS for using this service is going to give Amazon all rights to your likeness. Still suppose it'd be convenient, so long as using a password is still an option in case it stops recognizing you.

 

[Robeltu]

It isn't foolproof, I remember when my Dad first got a phone with facial recognition and we unlocked it with a picture of him at the pub. I'll stick to my password thank you

Technology improves, that's about all there is to say on that point.

But on that note, technological progress that helps with facial recognition creates its own risks and modern tech is already available supporting real time digital face masking, completely nullifying this as a secure option.

I guess so but unless it is using a 3D camera or a video how can it tell the difference between an actual head and a picture when it is being processed as a 2D image? It just doesn't seem like it could be very secure.

 

[L3D]

Filing this in insecure and stupid folder.

 

[tacotrainwreck]

Does this mean women will purchase more items from Amazon while they are alone in the bathroom? Am I right. Am I right!?

Awww.... I'm gonna leave now.