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Amazon

Controversies

Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.

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  1. 2021

    Amazon faces criticism over warehouse wellness booths

    Public backlash

    After Amazon announced AmaZen booths for warehouse facilities, Twitter users criticized the initiative, with some contrasting the booths with their concerns about working conditions and employee policies.

    Source excerpt

    • Upon seeing the news of the booth, the Twitter-world called out Amazon and the irony of giving employees a place to relax instead of implementing other basic policies.
    • In a poorly received tweet from Amazon News, the company announced that they would be introducing an AmaZen booth to their warehouse facilities as a means of easing tension in their workforce.
  2. 2021

    D.C. attorney general sues Amazon over pricing practices

    Lawsuit filed

    Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine sued Amazon, alleging that pricing contracts with third-party sellers unfairly raised consumer prices and suppressed innovation. Amazon disputed the allegations, saying sellers set their own prices.

    Stated objective. Amazon seeks a declaratory judgment that the state laws the OAG seeks to enforce are preempted by federal law and an injunction against their enforcement against Amazon.

    Company response

    • Denial — Amazon

      An Amazon spokesperson said Tuesday: "The DC Attorney General has it exactly backwards — sellers set their own prices for the products they offer in our store."
    • Denial — Amazon

      Amazon disputes these arguments.

    Source excerpt

    • The lawsuit alleges Amazon illegally maintained monopoly power through pricing contracts with third-party sellers.
    • Washington, D.C., Attorney General Karl Racine announced Tuesday he's suing Amazon on antitrust grounds, claiming the company's practices have unfairly raised prices for consumers and suppressed innovation.
    • An Amazon spokesperson said Tuesday in a statement: “The DC Attorney General has it exactly backwards — sellers set their own prices for the products they offer in our store.
  3. 2021

    Amazon sues over fraudulent text scams

    Lawsuit filed

    Amazon announced that it was filing a federal lawsuit in the Western District of Washington against unnamed participants in text-message schemes that purported to be from Amazon and directed people to purchase unaffiliated products.

    Stated objective. Amazon said the lawsuit was intended to tackle text scams and hold accountable parties responsible.

    Source excerpt

    • The company is taking the fight to the scammers, filling a federal lawsuit in the Western District of Washington against a number of yet-to-be-named participants.
    • Amazon has announced it is launching a lawsuit to tackle text scams that purport to be from the e-commerce giant.
    • The text messages promise rewards or gifts, but direct people to sites where they must purchase products that have no affiliation with Amazon.
  4. 2021

    EU court annuls Amazon-Luxembourg tax ruling

    Ruling

    The EU General Court annulled the European Commission's ruling that a tax deal between Amazon and Luxembourg amounted to illegal state support, finding that the Commission had not proved an undue reduction in the tax burden of an Amazon group subsidiary to the required legal standard. Amazon welcomed the decision.

    Company response

    • Clarification — Amazon

      Amazon said it welcomed the court’s decision, which is “in line with our long-standing position that we followed all applicable laws and that Amazon received no special treatment,”

    Source excerpt

    • a court on Wednesday annulled a ruling by the European Commission that a tax deal between Amazon and Luxembourg's government amounted to illegal state support.
    • But judges at the EU's General Court said the European Commission didn't prove “to the requisite legal standard that there was an undue reduction of the tax burden of a European subsidiary of the Amazon group."
    • Amazon said it welcomed the court’s decision, which is “in line with our long-standing position that we followed all applicable laws and that Amazon received no special treatment,”
  5. 2021

    EU General Court rules in Amazon’s favor in state-aid case

    Ruling

    The European General Court ruled that Amazon’s cost-sharing arrangement in Luxembourg did not breach EU competition law and found that the European Commission had not proved an undue reduction in Amazon’s tax base. The court said the Commission’s 2017 findings were incorrect in several respects.

    Source excerpt

    • The European Commission did not prove that Amazon had secured an “undue reduction” in its tax base, according to a May 12 ruling by the General Court.
    • The European General Court has ruled that Amazon’s cost-sharing arrangement in Luxembourg did not breach EU competition law.
  6. 2021

    Amazon apologizes and acknowledges drivers’ restroom difficulties

    Company response

    Amazon apologized to Representative Mark Pocan for an inaccurate tweet denying that workers urinated in bottles, acknowledged that drivers can have trouble finding restrooms, and said it would look for solutions. The article reports workers’ allegations about inadequate working conditions.

    Stated objective. Amazon said it would like to solve the restroom-access problem.

    Company response

    • Apology — Amazon

      We owe an apology to Representative Pocan,
    • Clarification — Amazon

      The tweet was incorrect. It did not contemplate our large driver population and instead wrongly focused only on our fulfillment centers,

    Source excerpt

    • Amazon has apologized to a congressman after falsely denying that some of its workers are forced at times to urinate in plastic bottles.
    • We owe an apology to Representative Pocan,
    • The workers' testimony underlined the complaints of many Amazon employees -- both in its processing facilities and among its drivers -- about what they say is a relentless work pace.
  7. 2021

    Amazon apologizes to Representative Pocan over an inaccurate statement

    Company response

    Amazon apologized to Representative Mark Pocan for an inaccurate tweet about whether its workers needed to urinate in bottles. The article also describes ongoing bathroom-break concerns among Amazon workers and delivery drivers.

    Company response

    • Apology — Amazon

      We apologize to Representative Pocan.
    • Apology — Amazon

      Amazon apologized Friday for a snide tweet it sent last week denying the well-documented occurrence of its delivery drivers peeing in bottles while on the job.

    Source excerpt

    • Amazon has issued a rare public apology — but not to its workers, and with no real admission of guilt.
    • Over a week ago, the company was caught publicly lying to Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) that its workers never feel the need to pee in water bottles (which is, in fact, a well-documented issue at Amazon because of how it robotically tracks and fires its laborers).
    • We apologize to Representative Pocan.
  8. 2021

    Amazon settles lawsuit over online price listings

    Settlement

    Amazon agreed to pay $2 million in penalties and restitution to settle a lawsuit brought by San Diego County and five other California counties. The complaint alleged that some of Amazon’s online reference-price listings were misleading or potentially misleading. The stipulated judgment also required revisions to Amazon’s pricing disclosures.

    Company response

    • Remediation — Amazon

      The District Attorney’s Office statement said Amazon “worked promptly and cooperatively throughout the district attorneys’ investigation and has already implemented changes to its website and pricing algorithms consistent with the final judgment.”

    Source excerpt

    • In addition to the monetary penalties, the stipulated judgment reached Wednesday requires Amazon to make revisions to its pricing disclosures,which includes providing hyperlinks on its site that give consumers “clear definitions of the meaning of ‘was’ and `’list’ price advertisements, so they understand the nature of the advertised savings.”
    • The complaint filed last week in San Diego Superior Court alleged that the e-commerce giant’s use of “reference pricing” in some of its online advertisements was either misleading or potentially misleading.
    • Amazon has agreed to pay $2 million in penalties and restitution after settling a lawsuit with San Diego County and five otherCalifornia counties over potentially misleading price listings on its website, it was announced Thursday.
  9. 2021

    Lawsuit filed against Amazon over marijuana testing policy

    Lawsuit filed

    Michael Thomas sued Amazon, claiming that the company unlawfully rescinded his job offer after he tested positive for marijuana and that its pre-employment testing policy violated New York City Human Rights Law. The article reports allegations, not a court determination.

    Source excerpt

    • A New York City man is suing Amazon for its policy to weed out new hires — arguing it was illegal to rescind a job offer after he tested positive for marijuana on a drug test.
    • Filed in Brooklyn Federal Court on Friday, the suit claims that Amazon violated New York City Human Rights Law, which prohibits employers from drug-testing potential hires for marijuana except in certain cases, including if employees are going to operate heavy machinery.
  10. 2021

    Amazon responds to allegations in manager’s lawsuit

    Company response

    Amazon said it was investigating new allegations included in Charlotte Newman’s lawsuit and said a review determined that her interview process placed her in the correct role.

    Company response

    • Investigation — Amazon

      In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said the company is investigating new allegations included in the lawsuit

    Source excerpt

    • In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said the company is investigating new allegations included in the lawsuit and that a review determined Newman’s interview process placed her in the correct role.
    • Newman says the comments from her former boss were “hypocritical” and “odd” considering the feedback she received in her previous roles.
  11. 2021

    Parler files another lawsuit against Amazon

    Lawsuit filed

    Parler filed another lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that AWS violated its agreement and accusing Amazon of unfair competition and violating consumer-protection rules. Amazon disputed Parler’s claims and said evidence showed content on the platform incited violence in violation of AWS terms.

    Source excerpt

    • AWS当然驳斥这一说法,它说Parler有权决定哪种内容可以在平台上传播,AWS表示尊重,但是诉讼案证据已经证明,Parler平台上有相当多的内容煽动暴力,这与AWS服务条款相违背。
    • 在新起诉案中,Parler指责亚马逊AWS当初驱逐服务违反和约,违反消费者保护守,不公平竞争。
  12. 2021

    Amazon book availability controversy

    Issue disclosure

    The article reported that Amazon appeared to make Ryan Anderson’s book “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Movement” unavailable. The article did not establish whether the unavailability was intentional.

    Source excerpt

    • A search this morning still found no availability of the book.
    • Amazon appeared to deplatform Ryan Anderson and his best-selling book, "When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Movement."
  13. 2021

    Former Amazon worker files meal-break lawsuit

    Lawsuit filed

    Former Amazon employee Lovenia Scott sued Amazon, alleging that it failed to provide required meal breaks and sufficient rest breaks to workers. The suit claimed workers sometimes had to monitor walkie-talkies during meal breaks and alleged that shifts were chronically understaffed.

    Company response

    • Denial — Amazon

      An Amazon spokesperson told NBC the company 'does not tolerate discriminatory harassment of any kind'
    • Clarification — Amazon

      In a statement to NBC News, Amazon declined to comment on the case but insisted that it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment “of any kind.”

    Source excerpt

    • The lawsuit also alleged that shifts were "chronically understaffed," which left some employees unable to take short 10-minute rest breaks in order to finish their work on time.
    • A former Amazon worker has sued the e-commerce giant in the US for not scheduling the mandatory 30-minute meal breaks for employees.
    • First filed in San Francisco County Superior Court in February, the case has now been moved to US District Court California, Northern District.
  14. 2021

    Amazon agrees to $8.2 million wage-lawsuit settlement

    Settlement

    Amazon agreed to pay $8.2 million to settle a class-action wage-theft lawsuit brought by contract delivery drivers in Washington state. The lawsuit alleged wage and overtime violations; the settlement agreement is reported, not a court determination of those allegations.

    Source excerpt

    • The lawsuit, originally filed by two Amazon delivery drivers in 2017, had alleged Amazon was partly to blame for illegally failing to pay drivers the minimum wage and denying them compensation for overtime and rest breaks.
    • Amazon agreed last month to pay some of its contract delivery drivers in Washington state $8.2 million to settle a class-action wage-theft lawsuit, reported earlier on Friday by Vice News and confirmed by Insider.
  15. 2021

    Amazon sues to combine EU and Italian antitrust investigations

    Lawsuit filed

    Amazon filed suit in the EU General Court seeking to combine investigations by the European Commission and the Italian Competition Authority. Both authorities allege that Amazon favors its own retail brands and brands using Amazon fulfillment services with superior promotion; those allegations are not presented as a court determination.

    Stated objective. To combine the EU and Italian investigations

    Source excerpt

    • Amazon filed suit in the EU’s General Court on Tuesday to combine investigations of the tech giant by the EU Commission and the Italian Competition Authority (ICA).
    • The ICA, which launched its case in April 2019, and the Commission both allege that Amazon favors its own retail brands and brands that use Amazon fulfillment services with superior promotion.
    • The company said Smalls was fired for violating social distancing guidelines, not for protesting.
  16. 2020

    Indian retailers protest Amazon

    Public backlash

    Traditional retailers protested near Jeff Bezos's speaking venue, carrying placards and chanting calls for Amazon to leave. The article reports retailers' complaints about online discounting and allegations that Amazon and Flipkart were harming their livelihoods and undermining competition.

    Traditional retailers protested Amazon near Jeff Bezos’s speaking venue, with placards and chants calling for Amazon to leave. The article reports retailers’ complaints about online discounting and allegations that Amazon and Flipkart were harming their livelihoods and undermining competition.

    Stated objective. Examine whether Amazon and Flipkart had violated the rules.

    Source excerpt

    • Minutes away from the venue where Bezos was speaking, a few dozen of these retailers held up placards with Bezos’ face on them, shouting “Amazon go back!”
    • The goal of Amazon and Flipkart is to bring in crony capitalism in India, dominate and monopolize the market, wipe out the competition, and leave consumers with no choice,
    • On Monday, just days before Bezos arrived in India, the Competition Commission of India, the country’s antitrust regulator, announced it was launching an investigation to examine whether Amazon and Flipkart had violated these rules.
  17. 2020

    Amazon warned users about Honey's browser extension

    Issue disclosure

    Amazon warned some users that Honey's browser extension could raise security and privacy concerns. An Amazon spokesperson said browser extensions may collect personal shopping data without consumers' knowledge or consent; the article does not establish a determination of wrongdoing by Honey.

    Source excerpt

    • “我们的目标是提醒消费者,部分浏览器扩展程序会在他们不知情或未经同意的情况下收集个人购物数据,比如消费者姓名、收货和/或账单地址,以及结账页面上的付款方式,”一名亚马逊发言人说道。
    • 在假日购物旺季,亚马逊告诉部分用户,Honey提供的浏览器插件可能存在“安全问题”。
  18. 2020

    House Judiciary Committee questions tech CEOs in market-power investigation

    Investigation

    The House Judiciary Committee questioned the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google at a hearing held as part of an investigation into their companies' potential anticompetitive behavior. The hearing brought the chief executives of the four technology companies before the committee, which was examining market power and possible anticompetitive conduct. The event was reported as part of the committee's broader investigation into competition in digital markets.

    Source excerpt

    • On Wednesday, lawmakers questioned four tech CEOs about the market power of their companies. The nearly six-hour hearing was conducted by the House Judiciary Committee as part of an investigation into the potential anticompetitive behavior of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
  19. 2020

    Amazon faces backlash over worker firing during COVID-19

    Public backlash

    Amazon faced public criticism after firing warehouse worker Chris Smalls, who had led a walkout over coronavirus concerns. Amazon said he was fired for breaking a 14-day quarantine; Smalls believed he was singled out after urging management to be more transparent about sick workers. Workers and labor advocates also criticized the company's pandemic workplace practices.

    Company response

    • Clarification — Amazon

      In a statement to ABC News, Amazon said that Smalls was sacked for breaking a 14-day quarantine and returning to work after he came in close contact with an employee who had tested positive for the virus.

    Source excerpt

    • Warehouse workers in Chicago, New York City and Detroit have walked out in protest at Amazon’s handling of the pandemic.
    • Smalls believes he was singled out after calling on management to be more honest about the number of workers who were sick.
    • In a statement to ABC News, Amazon said that Smalls was sacked for breaking a 14-day quarantine and returning to work after he came in close contact with an employee who had tested positive for the virus.
  20. 2020

    Amazon announced additional warehouse safety measures

    Company response

    Amazon stated that it would introduce additional warehouse safety measures the following week, including employee temperature checks and the provision of surgical masks. The announcement was reported alongside employee actions taken in response to the company's handling of the coronavirus crisis. The report did not specify further details about the measures or the outcomes of those employee actions.

    Amazon said it would introduce additional warehouse safety measures the following week, including employee temperature checks and providing surgical masks. The article also reports employee actions in response to the company's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

    Stated objective. to ensure the safety of its warehouse workers

    Company response

    • Remediation — Amazon

      The new measures to be introduced next week include taking temperatures of employees at the entrances to warehouses, with any individuals wth a fever of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit to be sent home, where they’ll have to have three consecutive days without fever to return to work.
    • Clarification — Amazon

      An Amazon spokesperson told La Repubblica that the company is complying with local guidelines taking extra precautions, including increasing the frequency of cleaning at the warehouses and amending regular warehouse policies in places where it's hard to maintain social distance.
    • Denial — 亚马逊

      “我们非常尊重 OSHA,但我们认为公司的培训计划绰绰有余,我们计划对此进行反驳,”该公司表示
    • Denial — Amazon

      Amazon, meanwhile, said accusations made by workers at its Staten Island warehouse are "simply unfounded"

    Source excerpt

    • Amazon says it will start taking additional steps to ensure the safety of its warehouse workers
    • There have been a number of employee actions in response to Amazon’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, including a walkout at the company’s Staten Island warehouse.
    • Workers at Amazon's Piacenza warehouse — which is situated just outside Milan in northern Italy and houses 1,100 staff — went on strike on Tuesday, saying that the company isn't adhering to government rules on the containment of the coronavirus.