In an effort to reduce fraud, Amazon is now having its delivery drivers take selfies. The company will then use facial recognition to verify the drivers’ identities to ensure that they really are who they say they are. This new requirement has already appeared on the Amazon Flex app for drivers, it notifies them that they need to take a selfie before they can continue to work.
The drivers are obviously warned in the app that they shouldn’t be taking the selfie when they’re driving. Ideally, they will do it either before driving off or pulling over somewhere safely before taking the picture.
The simple idea behind requiring drivers to take selfies is to ensure that multiple people are not sharing the same account. This will help prevent anyone from driving for Amazon who is otherwise not qualified to deliver packages. For example, criminals could use Amazon Flex to conduct reconnaissance on victims’ homes.
The selfie requirement only applies to Amazon Flex drivers who can work flexible hours and make between $18 to $25 per hour. They’re working as independent contractors as they use their own cars to deliver the packages. The selfie policy is similar to what Uber implemented in 2016, requiring drivers to take selfies before signing in and taking ride requests.
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