Amazon Key Lets Amazon Couriers Leave Packages Inside Your Home

Have you been thinking to yourself, “Man, there just aren’t enough strangers who have access to my home,” like YouTuber Grumar S? Amazon has a solution to that vexing problem called Amazon Key. With it, Amazon delivery people can enter your home when you aren’t there to leave packages inside.

Sound great, right? Here’s Amazon’s video pitch:

The system is based on a combination of Amazon Cloud Cam—a home security camera designed to work with Alexa—and a compatible third-party smartlock. There are plenty of smartlock systems accessible from the cloud, but Amazon is combining these two devices to give delivery folk access to your house.

Amazon Cloud Cam is $119.99 as a standalone device. Amazon Key is $249.99, including a Cloud Cam (Key Edition) and a compatible smartlock. The one shown below is from lock maker Yale. Smartlocks from Kwikset are also included. Users can either install the lock themselves or get free professional installation through Amazon. It’s available to Prime members, only.

Amazon Key includes a third-party smartlock and Amazon Cloud Cam (Key Edition)

Not Just for Delivery People

Being a smartlock, home owners can use Amazon Key to give designated people keyless entry to their house. Family members, visitors, cleaners, whatever. That’s standard fare for smartlocks, but Amazon’s innovation is to use the system to give their own delivery people access, too.

“Using the Amazon Key app, customers stay in control and can track their delivery with real-time notifications, watch the delivery happening live or review a video of the delivery after it is complete,” Amazon said in a statement.

About My Snark

One of my recent homes had a huge problem with packages being stolen off the porch—it was a problem for all our neighbors. From a package security standpoint, being able to have deliveries left inside is very attractive. Where I get snarky is the idea of putting that power in the hands of a lot of other people.

Perhaps Amazon has it all figured out and there will be no opportunities for mischief. Perhaps Amazon has a foolproof setup that prevents malicious actors (thieves) that have nothing to do with Amazon from gaining illicit access to your house.

If that’s the case, this is the first Alexa-oriented product/service that would truly tempt me. I’d want to see it banged on by serious security experts first.

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