By enforcing its Supply Chain Standards and requiring all suppliers, vendors, and contractors to adhere to human rights and labor standards, the policy promotes ethical sourcing practices and protects marginalized communities. This is reflective of resistance to exploitative labor practices often associated with authoritarian regimes.

Human Rights Principles

The disclosure of a $4,670,000 lobbying expenditure underscores the company’s extensive efforts to shape policy in its favor. While the lobbying touches on diverse issues including labor, safety, and digital privacy, such a large-scale investment in influencing legislation raises concerns about the overreach of corporate influence on democratic processes. This level of engagement, typical of attempts to secure favorable regulatory outcomes, is viewed negatively from an anti-fascist perspective that champions transparency and balanced political power.

Lobbying Update: $4,670,000 of AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC lobbying was just disclosed

The update highlights Amazon’s proactive measures to address and correct violations in its supply chain by reinforcing its Global Human Rights Principles and Supply Chain Standards. This commitment to ethical sourcing and improving worker conditions is a positive step that aligns with anti-fascist and progressive labor rights practices.

Update on Amazon’s response to violations of our supply chain standards involving contracted workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The CNIL's fine highlights Amazon's use of intrusive surveillance techniques that undermine workers' rights and create a repressive work environment. Such practices, including tracking the minutest details of employee activity and enforcing strict break validations, contribute to an oppressive management system that is aligned with authoritarian workplace practices.

Amazon fined for 'excessive' surveillance of workers - BBC

AWS's sale of its Rekognition technology to law enforcement agencies provides governments with a tool for mass surveillance, which can be exploited for authoritarian control. This technology, known for its weak safeguards against bias and discrimination, poses a high risk to civil liberties, particularly affecting communities already marginalized.

Amazon is selling 'authoritarian surveillance' tech to police, civil liberties groups say

By doubling down on the sale of its facial recognition product Rekognition to government agencies, and engaging directly with law enforcement such as ICE, Amazon is effectively providing repressive technologies that pose significant risks for surveillance abuses. This action is seen as bolstering authoritarian practices by enabling excessive state control and potential targeting of immigrant and minority communities.

Pressure Mounts on Amazon, Microsoft, and Google Against Selling Facial Recognition to Government

The article reveals that Amazon, via Ring, has shared private surveillance data with law enforcement without proper legal oversight or user consent. This practice not only undermines privacy rights but also contributes to a surveillance infrastructure that can be exploited by authoritarian regimes, marking a significant negative impact under the Provision of Repressive Technologies category.

Amazon says it's given information from Ring cameras to police without owners' consent

The report reveals that Amazon's supplier list includes companies previously linked to forced labor in China. This indicates significant shortcomings in the company's supply chain ethics and due diligence processes, thereby inadvertently supporting authoritarian labor practices which exploit vulnerable populations.

Amazon suppliers linked to forced labor in China, watchdog group says

Amazon's aggressive anti-union measures—including mandatory meetings, flyer campaigns targeting unionization efforts, and discouraging communications—undermine workers' rights and fair labor practices. These tactics not only discourage legitimate employee organizing but also reflect broader exploitative business practices that compromise labor and human rights.

Amazon fight with workers: 'You're a cog in the system'

The firing of employees who organized and spoke out on environmental and workplace safety issues is a clear act of retaliation that undermines workers' rights and suppresses progressive activism. This incident is seen as an authoritarian move to silence dissent and deter employee-led advocacy, reflecting negatively on the company's labor practices and ethical responsibility.

Amazon 'illegally retaliated' against climate activists - BBC

AWS's facial recognition system, Rekognition, has been criticized for its potential to be misused in ways that infringe on civil liberties and disproportionately target marginalized communities. Despite CEO Andy Jassy's assurance that the technology would not be sold to governments with documented human rights abuses, the very defense of continuing such sales highlights a willingness to expose vulnerable populations to surveillance and discrimination. This behavior aligns with the provision of repressive technologies, thus earning a strongly negative score.

Amazon Exec Defends Facial Recognition Sales to Law Enforcement, Says Would Sell to Foreign Governments

Amazon Web Services' Rekognition is a powerful facial recognition tool that has been used by government agencies, fueling surveillance practices that can undermine civil rights and facilitate authoritarian control. The ACLU's petition, backed by substantial public support, highlights the technology's role in enabling oppressive state practices, warranting a strongly negative score.

ACLU petitions Amazon to stop selling surveillance technology to the government

AWS's Rekognition technology is being marketed and deployed as a tool for law enforcement and government surveillance. It enables real-time, mass facial recognition which can be used to track and target minority and activist groups, thereby facilitating authoritarian surveillance practices. This action represents a significant ethical failure in terms of technology's impact on civil liberties.

Amazon Teams Up With Government to Deploy Dangerous New Facial Recognition Technology