Amazon Wants To Replace Passwords With Selfies and Videos (thestack.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Amazon has filed a patent application for a technology which would allow consumers to authenticate transactions via selfie or video. As part of the verification process, the computer or mobile device will prompt the user to 'perform certain actions, motions or gestures, such as to smile, blink, or tilt his or her head.' Amazon claims that the introduction of facial recognition technology will make transactions more user friendly and secure than conventional identification methods, such as passwords which can be stolen and hacked.

Comments

Re:Laugh

[tiberus]

'perform certain actions, motions or gestures, such as to smile, blink, or tilt his or her head.'

As if Amazon isn't bad enough, now it's just downright creepy.'

Creepy isn't quite the word that comes to mind, more like pervy.
Just what "certain actions, motions or gestures" we talkin' 'bout here? Just wanna know if I'm gonna have to clean up afterward...

Can we stick with passwords?

[YukariHirai]

I'm not too optimistic about systems like this. Sure, passwords can be stolen, but if you're careful they can be kept secret, and they can be changed if need be. But my face? If someone gets their hands on a suitable picture or video of me (really not hard to get a photo or video of the average person) and can use that, I'm shit outta luck. And on the other hand, I'm also concerned that an automated system could decide that I don't look like me; the state of my beard at the time or whatever throwing it off.

So in short, interesting idea, but probably not all that practical.

Re:Can we stick with passwords?

[Max_W]

...But my face? If someone gets their hands on a suitable picture or video of me (really not hard to get a photo or video of the average person) and can use that, I'm shit outta luck. ...

A Niqb could be a solution, at least for women: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Re:Can we stick with passwords?

[Jason Levine]

If someone gets their hands on a suitable picture or video of me (really not hard to get a photo or video of the average person) and can use that, I'm shit outta luck.

Exactly this. We keep telling everyone not to share their passwords. What's one of the big things people love sharing? Photos of themselves! When you make someone's face their password, you've just turned every selfie they've ever sent into a shared password. How long would it take to compile those "password shares" into something that could fool Amazon's system?

I recently tried an app MSQRD which maps someone else's face onto yours. It works surprisingly well: changing your face into a gorilla or Tony Stark or Barack Obama. You can move your mouth, tilt your head, etc and it keeps working. Now imagine if someone were to make something like that but using all those selfies that someone posted and using the result to fool Amazon's app into thinking that's what you really looked like.

Passwords have their flaws, but those can be mitigated by additional layers of security (e.g. two factor authentication). Facial recognition is one of those things that sounds good in theory, but falls apart on closer observation.

Re:Can we stick with passwords?

[I4ko]

How about the system recognizes the blood on my face and the knife on my throat or the gun next to my head. Using faces for passwords is as ridiculous as using fingerprints for passwords. Biometrics should only be used for usernames, passwords should be something you know, not something that you are.

Multiyear Prime subscriber here...

[rmdingler]

No. No. Hell no, Amazon.

Allegedly for help with the troublesome task of entering passwords from a mobile device, this co-opting of the device's camera function is a bit too Orwellian.

And if I get to where I can't use a mobile phone keyboard, I will use a tablet or just wait till I get my ass home.

Re:Photo in front of the camera

[Joe_Dragon]

You can dial 911 from the lock screen.

Security

[JasterBobaMereel]

The 3 factors are
Something you know : Password
Something you have : Key
Something you are : Biometrics

also known as
Something you forgot
Something you lost
Something you cease to be ...

Re:Photo in front of the camera

[hoggoth]

> How do you/your caregivers/the executor of your will, etc get access

"Hold your dear departed father up straight! Ok, now tilt his head to the left. No! HIS left!"

Re:Photo in front of the camera

[wonkey_monkey]

And what happens if your face in damaged in accident, or you have a stroke, or you die?

Then, if it was really important, you would have hopefully already set up a way for someone you trust to get your password (which, contrary to the headline, is not being "replaced" in the most literal sense) and then they can get access to your stuff.

I can't help feeling your doom-mongering is a bit like saying, "They want us to start cars with keys? What if I lose my keys?!" We seem to have managed okay with such a system so far.

Flawed

[wkwilley2]

Face recognition is all fine and well till you grow a beard, or have a stroke.