Amazon Testing Facial Recognition Tools To Facilitate Online Seller

Amazon is looking forward to using facial recognition software to verify the identity of its online sellers. As per news reports, a seller in Vietnam was prompted to record a short video (5-second) of his face to sign up for his profile as a seller. 

Consultants express that the procedure might reflect a thrust for Amazon to use software for facial recognition to discourage duplicate profiles and fake accounts. Amazon said that they always experiment with new methods to validate the information provided by sellers. Amazon is trying to protect its customers from evil actors. The critical details help them to identify fake people.

The e-commerce giant is attempting to make it a secure platform with the seller identification information. The anonymous sellers, who tried to remain unidentified for the terror of retaliation from Amazon, can't work anymore. It doesn’t give an option to sellers to decline the video of the face recording in signing up for his/her profile. The company is silent about the primary objective of recording the faces of sellers. Facial recognition technology draws scrutiny for a reported use at Amazon and tech companies.

An Amazon shareholder’s group filed a resolution last month to block this company from selling facial recognition software called Rekognition. For government entities, the board of a company may look into possible uses and confirms it might not violate privacy or civil rights.

Privacy activities and civil rights group activities have criticized the contracts of Amazon with law enforcement agencies. They are concerned about the use of Rekognition for the accuracy of technology and its abuse by police.

As per the marketing material of Amazon, Rekognition can identify thousands of scenes and objects in a live video. IT can identify particular activities, such as people playing soccer or delivering a package. The software can track almost 100 faces at a time. Another similar technology is Amazon Go that they use to design a cashier-less store.