4d ago

Apparently You Can Pay at Whole Foods Using Your Palm...

My friend just sent this to me after seeing it at a Whole Foods in California:

With how easy it already is to tap a card, why would anybody sign up to use this for payment? It's mind boggling to me.

Screw just your finger prints, Amazon already has access to that database thanks to the 5-0, so they now want to know every line on your hand! Best at least give people palm readings after the sign up! /s

23 comments

Biometrics harvesting under the guise of "convenience".
Unfortunately it is quite effective. People love this stuff.
- wait till the next pandemic and they will be gone
- B-b-b-b-but I get a one time free tootsie roll for signing up!

I heard that they accept DNA samples now, too.
- Hmm.

Might help some people realize that fingerprints are not as secure as they think.
- With the right skin conditions, they're fuckin' useless for authentication purposes. My skin peels around my fingers on occasion, and devices completely fail to read me when they do.

LMFAO.
Its not just the privacy issue. I DO NOT WANT TO TOUCH THAT DIRTY SENSOR. Think of all the GERMS that was smeared on the sensor by every hand that touched it 🤮.
Tap to pay is the way to go (like every card has it these days)
- you don't touch it at all, you hold your hand above it
  
  Oh fuck how did the sensors get so good? What's next, retinal scans from a camera 10 feet away? Electron microscopes analysing your DNA done by CCTV cameras?
  (Okay maybe I'm exaggerating, but you get the point 😅)

Fuck giving Amazon biometrics. If i have to go to Whole Foods i use cash.

They have these at my local Whole Foods too, I was horrified the first time I saw it. I have yet to see a single person use these devices, and I hope that is the common behavior.

Ah, the abuse of biometric data as a password.

These were also in Amazon's failed "just walk out" store fronts. Ick.

Seen these. Pretty creepy but some folks don't mind.
But you said Amazon has access to my fingerprints? Got proof?
- I ended that last chunck of text with /s. But at the same time, it wouldn't suprise me at all if this was the case.
  
  facepalm.jpg
  I didn't see the /s

One of the reasons I actually like Apple Pay (besides the convenience) is the fact that it randomly tokenizes your information so stores can’t track you as easily. That’s why the push for loyalty programs so they can continue to track you where they can’t by card anymore.
- I am fairly sure it just tokenizes the card number and it's not to prevent tracking. Most retail stores have been only storing tokenized card numbers for a while now, Apple Pay or not. With Apple Pay, it would be for card skimmer protection. Regular cards would still be vulnerable at the scanner.
  The payment processor, your bank and the store still know who made the purchase.

🎵 cathy don't go to the supermarket today. cause there's a very strange man at the checkout stand, ::: spoiler and there's a laser scanner where you put your hand. obligatory /s :::

It's not hard to obtain someone's biometric data. My concern wouldn't be Amazon knowing my handprint (my government has my handprint, Amazon can just ask them if they want), but how incredibly easy it is to just get a print of someone else's palm and charge them for your shopping. Pretty silly to use any biometrics as a primary authenticator rather than as a 2FA option.

I would do this if it wasn't a part of the US tech-military-intelligence system. It is nice. I certainly don't need it though. Don't give these people the tools to kill more efficiently. Not like I can afford to shop at Whole Paycheck anyways

23 comments