Amazon drivers are now taking photos of your FRONT DOOR when delivering packages
Amazon drivers are now taking
photos of your FRONT DOOR when delivering packages to show you where they've
left them in a creepy project that is being 'quietly rolled out'
·
Seattle-based company says the
new program will help people find packages
·
The company says the pictures
will be uploaded on to Amazon servers
·
This follows news the company has
bought home security startup Ring
·
It could help the internet
giant's delivery arm reach into people's homes
·
Drivers for Amazon have started
taking pictures of people's front doors as part of a creepy new delivery
service.
The
service, which is quietly being rolled out in the UK and US, is designed to
help people find packages left by Amazon employees.
But it
also raises privacy concerns as many customers may be not be aware that
pictures of their home are being stored on company servers.
The
unnerving project extends Amazon's already substantial reach into customer
homes.
It
follows news that the firm has brought 'smart doorbell' company Ring for
£700 million ($1 billion) - a company that records footage of people's front doors.
Amazon has been rolling out a
creepy new delivery system where drivers take pictures of your front door when
they drop parcels. The unnerving project extends Amazon's already
substantial reach into customer homes
The service, which began rolling
out around six months ago, is currently available in the US and UK.
Recently the company updated the delivery device and app used by
delivery personnel so all logistics drivers can now take photos of your home,
reports USA Today.
The
photos are included in the notice of deliver that all shoppers receive when a
package arrives.
These pictures
are onto Amazon servers and drivers do not have access to them, the company
claims.
'Technology is wild. Just watched
a delivery guy drop off a package via our @ring doorbell, then take a pic of
the package', tweeted @Heather_PLS who is a Las Vegas-based blogger.
'A second
later, phone notification from @amazon saying my package was delivered and
there's picture available for viewing lol.'
The new
service is used by deliveries from the Amazon-controlled network which does not
include deliveries by UPS, the US Postal Service and FedEx.
The service, which started being
rolled out around six months ago, is currently available in the US and UK
'Amazon
Logistics Photo On Delivery provides visual delivery confirmation', Amazon
spokesperson Kristen Kish said.
'It shows
customers that their package was safely delivered and where, and it's one of
many delivery innovations we're working on to improve convenience for
customers.'
For
customers who find the pictures intrusive, they can opt out on the website by
going to the help and customer service tab.
When they
view a delivery photo under the Your Orders section, they can click on 'Don't
take delivery photos' to opt out.
The
pictures will only be sent to customers and occasionally customer service if
there are problems with a delivery, the company says.
Orders
shipped to addresses marked confidential will also not include delivery photos.
This latest update comes just
days after the delivery giant bought home security startup Ring.
Ring's
doorbells capture video that can be streamed on your smartphone and other
devices, and allow you to chat remotely to those standing at your door.
The security devices could work well with Amazon Key, a smart lock and camera
system that lets delivery personnel put packages inside a home to avoid theft
or, in the case of fresh food, spoiling.
Amazon has bought home security
startup Ring for £700 million ($1 billion) in a move that could help the
internet giant's delivery arm reach into people's homes. Ring produces
doorbells equipped with internet-connected cameras (pictured)
'We're
excited to work with this talented team and help them in their mission to keep
homes safe and secure,' an Amazon spokesperson said.
Ring
promotes its gadgets as a way to catch package thieves, a nuisance that Amazon
has been looking to remedy.
Financial
terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but online reports valued the deal
at more than £700 million ($1 billion).
Currently,
Ring devices can integrate with Amazon's voice-controlled assistant Alexa.
Users of Amazon's Echo Show device can say, 'Alexa,
show my front door' to receive a live feed of activity around their home via
Ring cameras.
The deal
creates potential for much more, analysts said.
Ring's doorbells (right) capture
video that can be streamed on smartphones and other devices (left), and allow
homeowners to remotely chat to those standing at their door
'Amazon
more than Ring can revolutionise home security,' Wedbush Securities analyst
Michael Pachter said.
Ring is
set to be one of Amazon's most expensive takeovers, after its £9.9 billion
($13.7 billion) deal last year for Whole Foods Market.
'Ring is
committed to our mission to reduce crime in neighbourhoods by providing
effective yet affordable home security tools to our neighbours that make a
positive impact on our homes, our communities and the world,' Ring said in a
statement.
'We look
forward to being a part of the Amazon team as we work toward our vision for
safer neighbourhoods.'
Last
year, the company rolled out Amazon Key, another trial system that allows
couriers to enter your home.
Ring gadgets could work with
Amazon Key, a smart lock and camera system that lets delivery personnel put
packages inside a home to avoid theft or, in the case of fresh food, spoiling
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