Overview

Amazon now incorporates facial‑recognition checks into its seller identity verification workflow. The technology can appear during the initial account creation and may be re‑invoked at later compliance checkpoints. Sellers need to understand how facial data is captured, stored, and protected because it directly affects account approval timelines and privacy obligations.

Key Points

• Optional method — Amazon may present facial recognition as one of several ways to verify identity; sellers can often choose an alternative, such as a manual document upload, when the option is available.
• Multiple verification moments — The platform can request a facial check not only when a seller first registers but also during periodic security reviews, policy updates, or after suspicious activity alerts.
• Fraud‑prevention focus — The primary goal of the biometric step is to block impersonation, account hijacking, and other fraudulent actions that could harm buyers or the marketplace.
• Sensitive biometric data — When a seller submits a selfie or short video, Amazon extracts facial feature vectors, which are classified as sensitive personal information under many privacy regimes.
• Governed by privacy policies — Amazon’s global privacy notice and regional data‑protection rules dictate how the facial image and derived data are stored, used, and eventually deleted.
• Rights vary by jurisdiction — In states such as Illinois, Texas and Washington, sellers enjoy explicit rights to refuse collection, request deletion, or receive disclosures about third‑party sharing.

How Facial Verification Works

1. Capture live image — The seller opens a verification screen on a smartphone or laptop and is prompted to take a real‑time selfie or a brief video clip; for example, a new seller in Canada records a 5‑second video using the Amazon Seller app.
2. Match against ID — Amazon automatically compares the captured facial data with the photo on the government‑issued ID (passport, driver’s license, etc.) that the seller previously uploaded; the system flags mismatches if the angles or lighting differ significantly.