Some artists and activists are giving a thumbs-down to the use of Amazon’s palm-scanning technology in concert venues. Some 200 artists and 30 groups have signed an open letter to the Red Rocks amphitheater, ticketing provider AXS and AEG (the parent company of AXS) demanding that they cancel contracts to use Amazon One and any biometric surveillance at events, Engadget reported on Wednesday (Nov. 17).
The initiative is being led by digital rights group Fight for the Futur. Those who signed the letter are concerned that Amazon might share the palm data with government agencies and that criminals may steal it from the cloud. Separately, U.S. senators have expressed concerns about the use of Amazon One in stores, the report added.
An Amazon spokesperson, in an emailed statement to PYMNTS Wednesday night, said consumer participation is voluntary.
“The claims made by this organization are inaccurate. Amazon One is not a facial recognition technology – it is an optional technology designed to make daily activities faster and easier for customers, and users who choose to participate must make an intentional gesture with their palm to use the service,” the spokesperson said, adding the company understands “that how we protect customer data is important to customers — this is very important to us too, and that’s why safeguarding customer privacy is a foundational design principle for Amazon One. Amazon One devices are protected by multiple security controls, and palm images are never stored on the Amazon One device.”
Amazon has been integrating its payment service into physical locations with its Amazon One pay-by-palm technology, which was launched in September 2020, PYMNTS has reported. The tech is currently available in at least 50 locations, including some Whole Foods stores, with Amazon saying earlier this year that it has thousands of customers enrolled.
Read more: Amazon Offers Deals for Using Payment Service Beyond Its Own Marketplace
Still, a promotion earlier this year that offered shoppers a $10 credit if they start using the palm-scanning payments method suggests that people may not be itching to use Amazon One. The biggest obstacle, perhaps, is privacy, with a large cohort of consumers wary about handing over biometric data to big companies such as Amazon.
Amazon announced in September that it was taking Amazon One into entertainment venues through a partnership with ticketing solutions firm AXS.
Read more: Amazon One Palm Scanning Tech Moves Into Entertainment With AXS Collab
The collaboration brings the “first-ever palm-based ticketing platform” to live entertainment events, including at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver. AXS is positioning freestanding contactless ticketing stations that eventgoers can use to identify themselves and confirm entry using their palms, Amazon said in a Sept. 14 press release.
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