Artists, activists demand live performance venues drop Amazon’s palm-scanning tech | Engadget

Concert operators might like Amazon’s palm recognition system, however some performers and activists are lower than thrilled. A gaggle of 200 artists and 30 rights teams has penned an open letter demanding the Red Rocks amphitheater, its ticketing supplier AXS and AEG (AXS’ dad or mum firm) “immediately cancel” contracts to make use of Amazon One scanning at any venue. They additionally need the companies to ban all biometric surveillance at these occasions.

The opponents to Amazon’s palm tech embrace figures you’d acknowledge, corresponding to Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna. The teams embrace organizations starting from the immigrant-oriented United We Dream by means of to the Tor Project. The digital rights group Fight for the Future is main the initiative. 

The letter contributors are anxious Amazon would possibly ship palm knowledge to authorities businesses hoping to trace activists and marginalized folks, notably in gentle of its previous collaborations with police. They’re additionally involved thieves would possibly steal data from the cloud, and see AEG as inconsistent after it condemned the usage of facial recognition in 2019.

We’ve requested AEG and Red Rocks operators for remark. There aren’t any ensures the letter will persuade anybody to drop Amazon One. The tech theoretically helps get folks right into a venue sooner, and would possibly reassure concertgoers nervous about bodily contact whereas the pandemic lingers. The objectors have some help, although — US senators are additionally anxious Amazon would possibly abuse palm knowledge. The mixed stress would possibly make life uncomfortable for palm scanning’s backers, even when they in the end determine to maneuver ahead.