Poll: Bulk of Americans ‘uncomfortable’ with Amazon Key

Amazon’s solution to package theft has left many Americans uneasy.

RELATED: An ode to Amazon Key

Sixty-eight percent of the 2,201 adults polled by Morning Consult, an online survey and market research company, said they are uncomfortable with the idea of delivery drivers having access to their homes.

Amazon Key, which was announced last week, would include a remote-controlled door lock, allowing packages to be dropped off in your home while you’re away. When a delivery driver arrives, Amazon would be notified, activating a camera and unlocking the front door remotely.

More than 50 percent of every subgroup who participated in the poll said they are against the idea — even those ages 18-29. Only 14 percent of people aged 65 or older said they are comfortable with the idea.

The question becomes: What is worse? A delivery driver entering your home while you’re away, or your package missing when you get home?

After “Cyber Monday” became a national phenomenon, so did “Package Theft Wednesday.” Last year, law enforcement across Western Washington warned shoppers of an increase in package theft two days after the day of online deals. It led to the invention of “The Package Guard,” a device with a built-in alarm that notifies people when a package is delivered.

A Seattle mail carrier told MyNorthwest in November 2016 he’s approached at least once a week about a missing package. It’s especially true for Amazon boxes, which he said thieves tend to be more attracted to because they are less likely to be grandma’s cookies.

A CEO of a smart access system company pointed out that it could just take time for people to accept Amazon’s new technology. After all, we’re now OK with allowing strangers to sleep in our homes while we’re away and don’t think twice about who is picking us up through Uber and Lyft.

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