Everyone's fingerprints, handprints and facial features are unique, but companies are increasingly fascinated by this personal information of ours.
To protect yourself, never give out your DNA or biometric data
Tech giants like Facebook and Amazon use biometrics for everything from tagging you in a photo by recognizing your face to buying items without cash or a card. But our biometrics are extremely valuable because they’re unique to us, and experts say the more they’re used, the more they could be compromised — and we could pay the price.
“Biometrics are the ultimate way to prove who you are,” Morey Haber, chief technology officer at BeyondTrust, told Lifewire over the phone. “The problem is, you can’t change biometrics once they’re compromised.”
Amazon introduced its biometric scanning technology called Amazon One last year, but the company now says it will pay you to use it. According to a TechCrunch report, shoppers who go to one of Amazon’s physical stores and scan their palm will get $10 in Amazon credit.
