‘Move Over Freedom’: Actor Russell Brand Warns About Amazon’s New Convenient Way To Pay

Superstar Russell Brand warned about Amazon‘s new palm payment convenience system the company launched in California and Texas and said it’s one step closer to giving away our freedom.

During the 47-year-old actor’s “Awakening with Russell” show Monday, Brand highlighted the fact that Whole Foods stores were installing palm scanning payment systems and all it takes is a “wave of the hand” to pay for one’s groceries. In the video titled “It’s Happening,” the host talked about the “nefarious nature of big tech” and asked if this kind of biotech is like another “snitch” from the company which he said has a history of “stealing your data” and giving it law enforcement. It starts at the :57 minute mark here.

“Move over freedom more like,” Brand said. “It’s not only ApplePay who’s the competitor here. It’s the concept of liberty.”

He added that the “mentality behind these ideals, behind these advances often includes data capture, increased power for companies like Amazon.”

“When we know Amazon have relationships with the police state, with CIA, with the FBI, with the government, have been guilty of handing over data without consent before,” Brand shared. “Oughten we be querying whether or not this is simply for our convenience or right from the get go.”

Throughout the piece, the star played various news segments with reporters/anchors talking about how all it takes is for a person to “hover their palm over the device” to pay for your items, repeating the same mantra, just a “wave of the hand.”

“‘All you gotta do is see Kylie there’s a little device down here…” The actor said in a character voice. “‘It’s not like it says literally in the Bible that the mark of the beast will be rendered in the palm of your hand or anything like that. Don’t worry just walk face first into Armageddon without questioning it. It’s convenient having an Apocolaypse.’”

He then mocked one reporter claiming how inconvenient it’s been to pull out a card out of one’s wallet to pay for things, before he took a swipe at President Joe Biden.

“We’re not all Joe Biden that can’t carry out rudimentary, simple procedures,” Russell said, adding sarcastically. “Are we? Or if you got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear. Just give all your data to Amazon and let them give that data to whoever they want.”

“Let’s just hope there’s never a point when they start saying ‘what are your political beliefs?’” he added. “The social credit score you. ‘Do you have the medications we want. Do you believe what we want you to believe. Are you interested in freedom are ya? You’re not interested in controlling your own life are you?’”

“Just wave your hand,” Brand continued. “Bye, bye freedom. Bye.”

Russell later pointed out that “in the past” Amazon made similar assurances to customers worried about devices like Alexa and the Ring camera and that they could be used to “spy on” people.” He said it seems like every time Amazon “introduces some new convenience” it turns out to be some “little snitch” telling the CIA and the FBI exactly what’s under your bed.” He said the company promised that all that data is uploaded to the cloud and said, sarcastically, it’s nothing to worry about.

The “Get Him to The Greek” star went on to explain how those concerns were later found to be warranted after the company admitted to storing “Alexa voice data,” selling “biometric facial recognition services to the U.S. law enforcement” and the Ring camera company working with police as well, citing an article from Tech Crunch. It comes at the 6:45 minute mark.

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