Amazon Key is a new service that lets couriers unlock your front door

The Verge:

Amazon Key relies on Amazon’s new Cloud Cam and compatible smart lock. The camera is the hub, connected to the internet via your home Wi-Fi. The camera talks to the lock over Zigbee, a wireless protocol utilized by many smart home devices.

When a courier arrives with a package for in-home delivery, they scan the barcode, sending a request to Amazon’s cloud. If everything checks out, the cloud grants permission by sending a message back to the camera, which starts recording. The courier then gets a prompt on their app, swipes the screen, and voilà, your door unlocks. They drop off the package, relock the door with another swipe, and are on their way. The customer will get a notification that their delivery has arrived, along with a short video showing the drop-off to confirm everything was done properly.

I get the convenience factor of this (having missed many deliveries due to not being at home) but I can see a lot of people reticent about allowing this kind of internet-connected (and, therefore, hackable) lock on their home. I would much rather a system where the delivery driver calls or texts that they are outside and then you would unlock the door.