Amazon launches palm scanners for 'secure' payments: can we trust this system?

Today news is being circulated that Amazon is launching  "Palm scanners" for secure transactions. Can we trust this transaction system? Probably NO. Because data breaches are too common nowadays and the impact of misuse of this particular system is huge.


                 

Recently one night at 2 AM,  I and one of my friends were planning to have a cup of coffee so that we can wake up till morning and finish some work. While the milk was boiling, we thought of watching a video on YouTube. Our eyes popped out of our heads after watching the very first advertisement. Seeing Ad was not a problem for us, we were surprised why YouTube's recommender system gives an Ad about coffee even before the coffee was prepared. I never searched about "Coffee" in any of my devices for at least 15 days prior to this event. The only way YouTube could get this information if some app on mobile was recording my voice (obviously, without my permission) and giving this information to YouTube and who knows YouTube was recording this. Since that day I have become more skeptical about technology. This is one example of a privacy breach that I have experienced and there are plenty of examples experienced by others. 

Despite data breaches, tech companies keep on introducing new products with the possibility of a data breach that can have a significantly higher impact. What can happen if you lose your credit card information? You can lose money maximum up to your credit card limit. What if you lose your debit card information? You can lose money maximum up to your bank balance in that account, although certain restrictions on daily transactions will save you. What if you lose your biometric information? you might lose your identity and this is some serious threat. 

Let's be very careful about using biometric information. The potential misuses of biometric systems can be more than we can think of. I can recall three places where it is generally asked. First, the Aadhaar card system and it asks for detailed biometrics that captures prints of fingers and palms. Second, offices have a biometric system for access to their premise, but generally, it captures fingerprint only. Third, we often use fingerprints to unlock our mobiles. let's say if someone hacks the amazon palm system, they can access all our biometric information.  Hacking the robust systems by tech giants like Amazon might be very very difficult, but creating a fake system like Amazon should not be a problem. We know cases of fake POS and card readers.  The real concern arises if someone uses a fake system like that of Amazon and creates a copy of your palm(and possibly fingerprint). They can pose themselves as us. They can enter our office or they can misuse our Aadhaar card or they can misuse our mobile or they can misuse in a way we can never think of. 

It might take some time for this to come to India, I will refrain from using such systems whenever they come to India and I will suggest my friends not to use such systems that require biometric information. Let's be very careful about using biometric information at least. 

 Image source: https://www.mantratec.com/Palm-Vein-Scanner

Comments

  1. Anshul29 September 2020 at 16:44

    Thanks for sharing this article, this piece of info is quite new to me. However, regarding the data recording, it is not without your permission. You apparently gave permission to google to record your voice when you confirm Terms and conditions of OK Google voice service without reading the whole document. Although, the permission to access your personal data is asked in such a way by applications that either they go unnoticed or you are bound to provide them. Eg. suppose few years from now you land into job at your dream company with package 2X your expectations, and you are required to share palm prints to perform particular task as you are dealing with highly confidential data. Now what, you will soon find yourself acting in contrary to the your conclusion in blog above.

    Yet, I would say things are not as gloomy as they may seem. Data misuse is not in interest of business models of these firms. Just that they can use to improve their algos for higher revenue generation from Advertisers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jai Kamal30 September 2020 at 12:55

      Thank you Anshul for your comment. I agree that I have given Google permission to record my voice, but I was under the impression that they record my voice only when I am using their App. I was not aware of it that they will record my voice 24*7.

      I suggested reducing biometric usage, and I didn't mean that you should not use biometrics at all. In my case, I gave all my biometric data at the time of applying to the Aadhar card, and I use fingerprint to open my mobile even today. The article suggests being careful and avoiding biometric systems as far as we can.

      I am not saying that Amazon will misuse it. I am just saying that some other person might pose them as Amazon and can misuse it. For example, in the case of credit card frauds, fake POS is used.

      Delete

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