Amazon wants facial recognition selfies to replace passwords

If you thought selfies were worth nothing more than a fad destined to die out with time, think again. Amazon has filed a patent recently that explains how selfies taken with smartphones and tablets could be used as a security measure before making purchases, in place of a password.

Much like the fingerprint recognition we’re seeing in more and more smartphones now, this method is said to be far more secure than a alphanumerical password, which can be hacked via phishing or more brute methods.

Specifically, patent number 9202105 lays out the groundwork for an authentication method that requires a user to make an expression of some sort, such as winking with one eye or cocking ones head to the side. This movement would work a security measure that prohibits a still image of someone working as a stand-in.

Almost every device has a front-facing camera nowadays, so it doesn’t seem like it would be too unfeasible. But the reality is a fingerprint sensor is a far more elegant solution to the problem at hand.

It’s difficult to see this ever making it past the patent stage, but Amazon is known for throwing out an oddball project or two, so who knows.

[via Re/Code]