Pay by selfie may prove to be a thing. According to reports, Amazon.com has filed a patent for technology that would enable customers to make payments by taking a photo or video of themselves. (Okay, it's more than just that. Details to follow.)
The idea behind the patent is to use facial recognition technology to make it easier for consumers to buy products online while increasing security levels.
According to a Re/code report, Amazon also believes its selfie payment technology will be helpful in social settings. Amazon maintains in its patent application that current forms of security "require the user to turn away from friends or co-workers when entering a password, which can be awkward or embarrassing in many situations."
Amazon's proposed tech also purports to deliver higher levels of security through a function that requires those making a payment to perform certain actions or movements to establish their identity.
As several reports point out, Amazon is not alone in looking at selfies as a means to transact payments. Alibaba and MasterCard are among businesses exploring the use of facial and/or fingerprint recognition for payments.