And in another round of follow-ups, let’s update on stories previously covered.
Apple has officially announced that Tap to Pay feature on iPhone. Coming later this year, businesses can use their iPhones to accept Apple Pay with a single tap. The feature will also work for contactless credit cards and debit cards and other digital wallets. The company is also opening up the platform and allowing app developers and other payment platforms to use it too, and Stripe will be the first third party to leverage it.
ID.me, the company at the heart of the IRS facial recognition scandal, announced that it would make facial recognition verification optional for all of its public sector government partners. Additionally, starting March 1, the company says all ID.me users will be able to delete their face scans.
Amazon has announced its virtual healthcare program; Amazon Care is now available nationwide. According to a blog post, the hybrid service, which pairs virtual care with the option for an in-home nurse’s visit, will be available in 20 additional cities in 2022. That in-person component is already up and running in eight cities, including Seattle and Los Angeles.
Tactical catchups here. Retail focused providers will care about potential shifts in Point of Sale options from Apple, and healthcare focused ones will be interested in Amazon’s continued push into healthcare. When you get that big, only big industries will satisfy the need to grow… and why Apple and Amazon are pushing.
Facial recognition isn’t popular – note that.