Company Directory - Alexa
Company Details - Alexa
Alexa
WebsiteSeattle, United States
Alexa is a voice assistant technology developed by Amazon that provides a range of services including voice interaction, music playback, and smart home control. It offers emergency assistance services and functions through devices like the Amazon Echo.
CCI Score
CCI Score: Alexa
-35.75
0.02%
Latest Event
Amazon Anti-Union Consultants Spending
HuffPost reported that Amazon spent nearly $13 million on anti‐union consultants last year to counter union organizing efforts at its facilities, reflecting a strategy that undermines workers' rights.
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TOADIE
Alexa is currently rated as a Toadie.
Latest Events
- DEC312024
HuffPost reported that Amazon spent nearly $13 million on anti‐union consultants last year to counter union organizing efforts at its facilities, reflecting a strategy that undermines workers' rights.
-80
Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices
April 8
The reported expenditure on anti-union consultants shows a deliberate effort to suppress worker organization and union activity. This action undermines labor rights and supports authoritarian approaches in corporate management, marking a significant negative impact in terms of ethical business practices.
Amazon Spent Nearly $13 Million On Anti-Union Consultants Last Year
- SEP042024
Footage emerged showing Alexa responding neutrally to a question on why to vote for Donald Trump while providing a lengthy, favorable answer when asked about Kamala Harris. The incident sparked accusations of election interference, with Amazon attributing the discrepancy to a system error that was later corrected.
+40
Public and Political Behavior
April 8
Alexa's responses displayed a distinct bias by withholding political promotion for Donald Trump while actively promoting Kamala Harris. Although Amazon later corrected the error, the incident reflects an interference in political discourse that aligns with progressive, anti-authoritarian values.
+30
Media Influence and Propaganda
April 8
By delivering a promotional message for Kamala Harris while remaining neutral on questions about Donald Trump, Alexa's behavior exemplifies a misuse of media influence. This bias in disseminating political content supports progressive narratives, aligning with anti-fascist priorities despite being attributed to a technical error.
- FEB222024
Amazon released an update on its response to supply chain standards violations uncovered in 2023 involving a third‐party contracted labor agency in Saudi Arabia. The update emphasizes the company’s commitment to respecting human rights, ensuring ethical treatment of workers, and enhancing transparency in its supply chain practices.
+40
Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices
April 8
The update reiterates Amazon's commitment to internationally recognized human rights and the dignified treatment of labor, addressing violations and promising continuous improvements in worker rights. Such acknowledgment and steps to rectify supply chain issues reflect a positive, anti-authoritarian stance on labor practices.
+40
Supply Chain Ethics
April 8
The article details an independent audit that uncovered violations in supply chain standards, prompting Amazon to update its protocols. This level of transparency and proactive effort to strengthen ethical sourcing practices demonstrates a commitment to upholding supply chain ethics against exploitative practices.
- DEC012023
A National Labor Relations Board judge ruled that Amazon illegally interrogated, surveilled, and retaliated against employees engaged in union activities at its JFK8 warehouse, including racially disparaging remarks and reassignments in response to union organizing efforts.
-80
Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices
April 8
The article details multiple labor law violations at an Amazon warehouse, including the confiscation of union organizing materials, racial disparagement of union organizers, and retaliatory actions against employees supporting union activities. These actions undermine workers' rights and are emblematic of authoritarian labor practices, warranting a strongly negative score under Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices.
Amazon broke federal labor law by racially disparaging union leaders - CNBC
- OCT212023
Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Joseph Morelle, sent a letter to Jeff Bezos expressing serious concern over Alexa's role in spreading false claims about the 2020 election, urging Amazon to clarify its policies and address the misinformation issue.
-50
Public and Political Behavior
April 8
Lawmakers' public criticism highlights how Alexa's dissemination of false election claims is damaging to democratic discourse, aligning the company's actions with negative public and political behavior.
-70
Media Influence and Propaganda
April 8
Instances of Alexa echoing false claims about massive election fraud illustrate how the technology may inadvertently promote misinformation, undermining voter trust and creating a tool that could be exploited for authoritarian agendas.
- OCT192023
Lawmakers, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Joseph Morelle, pressed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to explain how Alexa spread false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. The demand for answers underscores concerns that Alexa’s technology is facilitating the dissemination of misinformation that could undermine democratic processes ahead of the 2024 election.
-40
Public and Political Behavior
April 8
Alexa’s role in spreading false claims about the 2020 election compromises the integrity of democratic discourse, aligning with narratives commonly exploited by authoritarian movements. Lawmakers' demands for accountability highlight significant political concerns related to public misinformation.
Lawmakers demand answers from Bezos about election misinformation on Alexa - The Washington Post
-35
Technology and Services Impact
April 8
As a voice assistant technology, Alexa’s dissemination of election misinformation reflects a failure in technological oversight and responsible information curation. This negative impact on the public communication landscape poses risks by amplifying narratives that can be exploited by authoritarian actors.
Lawmakers demand answers from Bezos about election misinformation on Alexa - The Washington Post
- OCT072023
The Alexa voice assistant, developed by Amazon, disseminated claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen due to massive fraud, citing unverified sources including Rumble and an 'Alexa answers contributor'. Despite subsequent corrections by Amazon, the incident underscores how Alexa’s responses can amplify politically misleading narratives that align with far-right talking points.
-60
Public and Political Behavior
April 8
Alexa’s dissemination of false claims about the 2020 election bolsters narratives used by authoritarian and far-right groups. Misinformation of this nature has the potential to undermine democratic processes by lending credibility to unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.
Alexa says the 2020 election was stolen. What does it mean for 2024?
-50
Technology and Services Impact
April 8
The technological design of Alexa, with its reliance on a mix of unsourced and unvetted inputs for politically sensitive queries, inadvertently makes it a vector for misleading information. This undermines public trust and inadvertently supports agendas that may foster authoritarian narratives.
Alexa says the 2020 election was stolen. What does it mean for 2024?
- OCT012023
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Joseph Morelle have called on Amazon for answers after reports indicated that Alexa, the voice assistant by Amazon, cited unvetted sources to spread false claims about the 2020 presidential election, raising concerns over the integrity of election information ahead of the 2024 cycle.
-40
Public and Political Behavior
April 8
The dissemination of false election claims by Alexa undermines public trust in democratic processes. By repeating unverified information regarding the 2020 election, the technology contributes to a political environment that may normalize misinformation, which is particularly concerning ahead of future elections.
-50
Media Influence and Propaganda
April 8
Alexa’s repeated use of unvetted sources to deliver erroneous election information contributes to the spread of misinformation and disinformation. This misuse of technology not only casts doubt on the reliability of digital assistants but also amplifies politically charged false narratives that can influence voter perceptions negatively.
- JUN012023
Amazon, through its Alexa voice assistant technology, agreed to pay a $25 million US civil penalty after the FTC alleged that it violated COPPA by retaining and mishandling children's voice and location data. The agreement also forces Amazon to overhaul its data deletion practices and tighten privacy controls.
-65
Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility
April 8
The settlement of a $25 million civil penalty underlines serious business practices issues, where Alexa violated child privacy laws by retaining and misusing personal data. This unethical practice of deceiving parents and flouting mandated data deletion requirements reflects a clear lapse in ethical responsibility.
Amazon ordered to pay more than $30M for privacy violations ... - CBC.ca
-50
Technology and Services Impact
April 8
Alexa’s data management practices, particularly the retention and improper deletion of children’s voice and location data, demonstrate a failure in responsibly handling technology and services. The use of this data to enhance voice recognition technology compromises user privacy.
Amazon ordered to pay more than $30M for privacy violations ... - CBC.ca
- MAY312023
On May 31, 2023, the FTC and DOJ charged Amazon for violating COPPA by retaining and misusing children’s Alexa voice recordings. The complaint alleges that Amazon deceived parents by failing to honor deletion requests and using the sensitive data to improve its voice recognition algorithms, thereby compromising children’s privacy.
-40
Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility
April 8
Amazon's handling of children's data through Alexa reflects unethical business practices. By retaining voice recordings indefinitely and failing to honor deletion requests, the company prioritized profit and technological gains over essential consumer privacy rights, undermining trust and statutory protections.
-50
Technology and Services Impact
April 8
The use of illegally retained children's voice data by Amazon to train its Alexa algorithms highlights a disturbing application of technology. This misuse not only breaches privacy laws but also poses broader risks of surveillance and exploitation, thereby negatively impacting societal norms around data ethics.
- MAY312023
The FTC announced that Amazon failed to delete children's voice recordings and Alexa users' geolocation data as promised, instead retaining the information for use in its algorithms, thereby violating privacy laws and putting sensitive personal data at risk.
-60
Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility
April 8
The FTC's claims highlight a serious breach of ethical business practices as Amazon did not honor its promise to delete sensitive data, including children's voice recordings, thus violating privacy laws and undermining consumer trust.
FTC says: Amazon didn’t protect Alexa users’ or children’s privacy
-40
Technology and Services Impact
April 8
Alexa's technology, meant to facilitate voice interactions and smart home control, was misused by retaining sensitive data to continue powering its algorithms, thereby compromising privacy safeguards and contributing to a broader pattern of irresponsible tech practices.
FTC says: Amazon didn’t protect Alexa users’ or children’s privacy
- APR012022
A House Oversight Committee is investigating Amazon’s labor practices following multiple incidents including employee deaths during extreme weather events and reports of workers being pressured to continue working under dangerous conditions. The inquiry highlights longstanding concerns about worker safety and the treatment of employees at Amazon facilities.
-75
Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices
April 8
The investigation into Amazon's labor practices uncovers systemic issues with worker safety and rights, including reports of threats against employees during severe weather events. Such practices undermine workers' rights and are indicative of an authoritarian disregard for employee welfare, negatively impacting the company’s ethical responsibility.
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