Amazon is receiving backlash after the online retailer announced it would roll out in-car delivery for General Motors and Volvo vehicles. The concerns are similar to those after Amazon announced its “Amazon Key” technology that gives delivery services access to a buyer’s home to leave packages inside.
While the concerns over granting access to someone’s home are greater than a car, it’s the technology itself that poses more of a security risk. The risks were raised in a Driving report published last Friday, and it’s clear, as a society, the automobile is becoming yet another “device” ready for connection to an internet of things.
Amazon’s Key technology syncs with an active OnStar subscription to allow access to the doors and trunk of a car for package delivery. The company said security is a non-issue because the courier will wait to ensure the cloud service once again locks the car. But, the premise of hacking and potential nefarious activity is a valid concern.
By granting access to the car, it opens up a whole new avenue for hackers to do their dirty work. The report details issues surrounding Amazon’s security camera for its in-home delivery service as one way hackers already have an upper hand. Baddies can easily fool the camera and send a false signal to tell homeowners the house is empty while it’s actually ransacked.
Of course, there are no concerns for those who don’t choose to participate in the process at all. But, it shows that, once again, a seismic shift in the automobile is underway.
Comments
Only old people will care but as stated you don’t have to opt-in so the old folks aren’t going to use this anyways…The biggest point to this is for those who are susceptible to package theft like where streets are lined homes that are close to the street and your neighbors are 10′ apart (think tightly packed town-homes).
Yes, only old people .. oh, and people who aren’t totally stupid.
Amazon has done their market research; this is to combat package theft…
I feel a spy thriller/mob hit/disgruntled spouse’s revenge feature-film plot line coming out of this one…
It’s a test. Amazon wants to learn how stupid we are.
They can’t even deliver to the right address most of the time, now they want access to not only your home but your car too? SO when the app doesn’t unlock the car will they leave your item/s on top of your vehicle?
This is a fast moving operation.. Amazon delivery personnel are supposed to drop off items as quickly as possible and not linger at a delivery location for too long especially as the company knows almost every step the driver takes and lingering at a location could create red flags especially if a car owner says something from his car is missing.
Think this is the sign of times, new ideas or technology comes out and people will scream to the skies in anger only to realize years later that there is nothing wrong with doing things in this matter.
One day we will all look back and say I really like having my packages delivered to my car while I am at work. Why did it take so long for companies to start delivering packages like this!
Will there be bumps along the way? Yes! Just like with any new technology! I love that people are thinking outside the box to make our world easier, what I dont love is seeing people belly aching about ideas like this! Get over your fear and stop being a dinosaur!
Brian, only the people who paid for my car will have access. I will not renew the OnStar service if that freaking robot starts yapping at me one more time about it. GM is too greedy.
I rarely shop at Amazon so it is a non issue for me. I like to keep local businesses supported when possible so that we still have a local tax base and jobs for our future kids and stores to shop. If something just isn’t offered locally or the price is way higher I usually go to a specific site that specializes in what I’m looking for such as Rock Auto for car parts etc.
Lots of people already have Amazon’s “Alexa” shiffing 24/7/265 round the clock in their homes.
Read more about this in George Orwell’s novel “1984”. Very much up to date.
Lots of people already have Amazon’s “Alexa” sniffing 24/7/265 round the clock in their homes.
Read more about this in George Orwell’s novel “1984”. Very much up to date.
Lots of people already have Amazon’s “Alexa” sniffing 24/7/365 round the clock in their homes.
Read more about this in George Orwell’s novel “1984”. Very much up to date.
“Read more about this in George Orwell’s novel “1984”. Very much up to date.”
Wrong. Orwell saw actions like this coming from the state and mandated by law. This level of intrusion is coming from private enterprise that people (or rather consumers) willing choose to have in their home.
1984 is not applicable to Alexa. 1984 is applicable to a cold war world, and could have never understood predictive consumer modeling, data mining, or even the internet as served by dedicated platforms.