Amazon ’s internal obstetrical delivery service , Amazon Flex , will require its drivers to take photos of themselves to be validated with facial recognition .
The detail , firstreportedby Business Insider , sees Amazon further verify the work of Flex driver , which the troupe considers self-governing contractors and not employees . They labour their own vehicles , pay out of pouch for incurred cost like fomite article of clothing and accelerator , and are not entitle to benefits like health care .
Labor conditions of Flex drivers were expensivelyreportedby Gizmodo in 2017 and have by in largestayed the samesince then . Meanwhile , the regulatory environs has originate more critical of companies that rely on big telephone number of contract laborers — laborers who no famine of politico , activists , and lawsuits have argue are misclassified .
Photo: Paul Sakuma (AP)
It ’s undecipherable how often drivers are being asked to photo - authenticate , what befall to that stored facial data , or if Amazon is obligated to delete that data point should the driver leave office or become deactivated . Also nameless is what facial recognition software suite is being deploy for this purpose — though one imagines Amazon is using its own in - house package , Rekognition .
Rekognition has been a generator of strident criticism fromlawmakersand ethicist , due to itsalleged biasesand Amazon ’s willingness to supply the software to police force enforcement . Safeguards the company bluster as keep Rekognition from being misused by police were not being play along , Gizmodolearnedearlier this year .
If Rekognition is the software being deployed , Flex driver ’ faces could be used as a data set to train and further hone the software , in much the way the Flex app get over drivers ’ routes and uses that data to increase Amazon ’s last mile logistics efficiency . Amazon toldthe Vergethe cheek - recognition certification is intended to tighten fraud .
Amazon did not straightaway retort a request for scuttlebutt on these issues , or if this new surveillance insurance stretch out to parallel programs like its Delivery Service Partners ( DSP ) mesh .
Update 4/19/19 11:44 post-mortem ET : Amazon worsen to furnish a command , but a representative noted that Flex drivers “ already swear their identifies when they see to it - in for their delivery pulley block ” and attempted to frame in the change as something in drivers ’ best interest : “ an additional tone Amazon Flex participants take to protect deceitful activity against their account . ” Prompts for photo identification were described as fall out on a regular basis but not on every preindication - in . The curriculum odes not , according to Amazon , encompass DSPs .
The spokesperson support that Rekognition is in fact the software suite being used but was uncertain on Amazon ’s specific policies around data keeping .
Have information about facial recognition at Amazon , or the time to come of the Flex program ? Send anemail . Or if you favour more confidential methods you’re able to natter us onKeybaseor tip us anonymously through ourSecure Drop host .
update with extra background from Amazon .
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