Amazon Urged by Petition to Break Ties With Police

The petition takes aim at Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit's "Rekognition" facial recognition technology.

By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 10 June 2020 12:15 IST

Amazon Urged by Petition to Break Ties With Police

IBM this week said it is no longer selling general purpose facial recognition software

Highlights

The petition takes aim at Amazon Web Services' "Rekognition"
The groups want Amazon to sever ties with police departments
Apart from police, Amazon has been asked to cut ties with ICE

A coalition of racial justice groups on Tuesday launched an online petition calling for Amazon to cut all ties with police and US immigration officials.

The petition takes aim at Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit's "Rekognition" facial recognition technology and Ring surveillance cameras used for home security.

"Amazon needs to examine its structural role in the systemic oppression of black people," said Media Justice campaign strategies director Myaisha Hayes.

The groups want Amazon to sever ties with police departments and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

.@Mvmnt4BlkLives calls to #DefundPolice from coast to coast! :fist::skin-tone-5:

So @Amazon's empty words about solidarity w/ Black communities mean little when they have 1,330 police partnerships.

Demand @Amazon cut all ties w/ police & ICE NOW: https://t.co/B5brCscvbs pic.twitter.com/k078a6Kmax
— MediaJustice (@mediajustice) June 9, 2020

Amazon's "surveillance empire" could be used by police to target people by race, making the company complicit in such abuse, Media Justice and other petition backers argued.

Amazon did not immediately return a request for comment.

"The inequitable and brutal treatment of black people in our country must stop," Amazon said in a recent tweet in support of protests calling for the justice system to treat people of all races equally.

pic.twitter.com/yI4MYEDz4C
— Amazon (@amazon) May 31, 2020

"Together we stand in solidarity with the black community -- our employees, customers and partners -- in the fight against systemic racism and injustice."

It was not clear to what degree Rekognition is used by police or immigration agencies.

Ring cameras sold by Amazon are used for home security, but people can share access to surveillance video with police if they wish.

Amazon shareholders last year rejected proposals to prohibit sales of facial recognition technology to governments and study how it might threaten privacy or civil rights.

The failed proposals were put forth by a group of shareholders but opposed by the board of directors at Seattle-based Amazon.

IBM this week said it is no longer selling general purpose facial recognition software and is opposed to using such technology for racial profiling or mass surveillance.

The century-old technology firm called for responsible national standards regarding how facial recognition systems should be used by police agencies.

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