Amazon One

Amazon One is a biometric product that was developed by Amazon. It launched in September 2020 and acts as an identity service so users can utilize their palm to verify their identify and aspects connected to it, such as financials. Amazon One can be used in contexts such as retail for contactless payments and at entry gates for live sports events admission.

Users can pre-enroll to use Amazon One by signing up with their existing Amazon account. Then they need to visit an Amazon One location, many of which are located in other Amazon stores, such as coffee shops. Finally, the user can finish enrolling in person when the Amazon One hardware uses proprietary imaging and computer vision algorithms to capture and encrypt the image of the user's palm.

Upon completion of set up, the user can then use Amazon One whenever it is offered. They just hover their hand above the Amazon One device and it reads the user's palm. It can be used to make payments, enter major event venues, and identify the user to enter a secure building, such as a workplace.

Amazon One Introduction

Privacy concerns have arisen due to the biometric data collection that is being done by Amazon One. Politicians in the United States are concerned with the data being used for advertising and tracking purposes. Another privacy concern with Amazon One is the location where the biometric data is stored. It is reported that it is stored on the cloud and there have been breaches of security and compromised data with companies who have used the cloud in the past.

In 2023, Amazon One continued expanding the locations at which it is offered, including food chains such as Panera Bread. Users can pay for their purchases and also earn loyalty rewards. Amid the concerns with privacy, Panera has noted that the use of Amazon One in its stores is optional for customers, and that they do not have to use it.