Amazon is asking its drivers to take selfies to verify their identities and lower the chances of fraud. According to a report by Business Insider, the new requirements apply to Amazon Flex drivers, who work as independent contractors and deliver packages using their own vehicles. The Amazon Flex app recently started prompting some drivers to share selfies with a pop-up message that says: “To continue delivering, please help us verify your identity by taking a selfie. Do not take a selfie while driving. This photo won’t be shown to customers.”
The app uses facial recognition software to determine whether the photos match images stored in drivers’ accounts.
The selfies are meant to protect drivers from unauthorized usage of their Flex accounts, the report said. Before Amazon started requesting selfies, the company asked drivers to consent to the collection and storage of their photos and biometric data, the report said.
“Amazon Flex may collect, store, use, and derive biometric data from your submitted pictures (including your pictures we already have on file), driver’s license, or government-issued ID (such pictures and derived biometric data collectively are your ‘identity data’),” a notification within the Flex app stated. “Amazon Flex will use your Identity Data to confirm your identity from time to time. Amazon Flex will keep your Identity Data for as long as permitted by applicable law or until you request deletion.”
