In the United States, 37 cities started using Amazon Key as of November 8. Amazon Key allows for people who deliver your packages to do so by entering your house and dropping them off inside, so the risk of packages being stolen decreases.
The program works with a system of cameras, known as Amazon Cloud Cam, (ACC) that enable the delivery person to enter upon access via the Amazon Key App. The ACC has features including 1080p Full HD, night vision, as well as two way audio. In order for the design to work, the camera has to be installed inside of the home and security systems have to be turned off, as the people delivering packages will not be able to do that. Prices for the individual camera start around $120, but the Amazon Key-In-Home Kit runs at $249.99 and is only available for Amazon Prime members. The kit includes the Amazon Cloud Cam and a suited lock from either Kwikset or Yale.
“I think that it’s a good idea. Then if I’m not at my house and the stuff I ordered gets delivered, I know someone walking by won’t just take it,” NHS freshman Annie Fowler said.
On the day that the package is being delivered, the customer will first get a notification telling them the 4-hour slot of time in which the driver will arrive at their house. Another notification will be sent to the customer just before the driver reaches their home. At this point, they have the option to watch the delivery as it happens.
The program primarily focuses on using technology to complete the task instead of relying on people. It uses the Amazon Key App for the majority of the job, with few exceptions.
“The driver will knock first and then request to unlock your door with their Amazon handheld scanner. Amazon verifies that the package belongs to the address and the driver is near the door, turns on Amazon Cloud Cam and unlocks your door. No special codes or keys are given to the driver,” website officials from Amazon said.
The driver puts the package inside of the door and then sends a request to the customer to relock the door. As soon as the package is dropped off and the door is relocked, one last alert will be sent to the customer and they can go watch what the camera recorded during the delivery. They can also watch the video live, when the package is first being delivered.
Amazon also plans on licensing their product with other businesses and services in an attempt to take Amazon Key one step further. The company wants to incorporate home cleaning experts such as Merry Maids, and other services such as pet sitters and dog walkers from Rover.com. Amazon has about 1,200 services in total so far, spread across 60 different professions through Amazon Home Services.
While Amazon has worked to create a new invention that allows packages to be delivered without the risk of them being stolen, people have been pointing out concerning design flaws.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting a random person into my house. The package might not get stolen but some other important stuff might,” NHS freshman Sawyer Findley said.
One of the major issues with Amazon’s new invention is the risk of the driver themselves stealing the possessions of the home owners. Many of the programs users argue that this is perhaps the biggest weakness so far. Others worry about the delivery person getting in trouble because if something goes wrong, they automatically take responsibility for it.
“The head spins with the opportunities for mischief in letting a stranger into an empty home. There are risks for couriers too — whether it’s an attacking dog or an escaping cat,” Nick Wingfield from the New York Times said.
Wingfield also described accidentally letting the customer’s pets loose as another problem with the idea. Amazon advises that homeowners with pets not to use Amazon Key for exactly this reason, but it does not necessarily guarantee that pet owners will not use it.
Due to the fact that customers have to disarm their security for the delivery to be successful, this raises another issue. It has to do with hackers using this program to get into the database containing all of the door codes of users, which could then be used to steal valuables from customers.
"The biggest risk is the hackers who get a hold of the database of door codes. You know, quite literally, if they can hack the NSA, they can hack a database of entry codes into an entire block's worth of homes," cybersecurity expert John Sileo said.
Sileo explained how the system would not be that difficult to hack, considering that the security is not the highest it could be. Security would have to be improved in order to sway the opinion of anti-Amazon Key advocates.
Amazon Key is yet to be perfected, but has technologically advanced how deliveries can be made. Only time will tell for the better or for the worse what Amazon Key brings to society.
The Verge