Amazon delivery drivers are facing an unexpected privacy invasion as surveillance footage from in-van cameras has started appearing online, particularly on Reddit, despite assurances from the company that these cameras were solely for safety purposes.
Vice News reports that Amazon delivery drivers are finding themselves in the social media spotlight. Surveillance footage from their delivery vans, captured by AI-enabled cameras, has begun to surface online, sparking concerns about privacy and the invasive use of technology.
Amazon delivery driver ( PATRICK T. FALLON /Getty)
The cameras were installed to monitor drivers’ speed, location, and actions on the road. They are capable of recording both the road and the driver, and drivers were required to sign consent forms allowing the cameras to collect biometric data. Amazon had previously assured its drivers that these cameras were purely for safety purposes.
However, the recent spate of video leaks on Reddit has raised questions about the extent of surveillance and the potential misuse of the footage. The videos often depict drivers’ actions on the road and are not typically posted by the drivers themselves. This has highlighted the fact that Amazon drivers, who already have demanding jobs, are being monitored at all times.
One driver, who requested anonymity to avoid corporate backlash, explained the extent of the surveillance: “The camera sends information on if we speed, hard braking, hard acceleration, if we roll through or run stop signs, if we run red lights,” they said. “It’ll also detect if we are on our phones or aren’t wearing seat belts properly.”
Despite the controversy, Amazon maintains that the cameras are a safety measure. “Netradyne cameras are used to help keep drivers and the communities where they deliver safe,” Amazon spokesperson Simone Griffin said in an email. “Delivery service partners have access to the Netradyne portal where the in-vehicle cameras automatically upload video content when there is a safety incident. Delivery service partners can choose to share the video footage with their employees. However, for privacy reasons, publishing the content externally is a violation of program policies.”
Breitbart News previously reported that Amazon’s AI-powered cameras were punishing drivers for events outside of their control, like being cut off in heavy traffic:
VICE News reports that after Amazon installed AI-powered cameras in its delivery vans, drivers immediately began finding issues with the system. In March, Breitbart News reported that Amazon was rolling out new digital sensors in its delivery vehicles across the U.S. to monitor and control the activity of its workers in efforts to improve efficiency. The firm installed machine-learning powered surveillance cameras in its delivery vans earlier this year,then told employees they must agree to be surveilled by AI or lose their jobs.
Amazon delivery drivers in the U.S. are now being told to sign “biometric consent” forms to continue working for the e-commerce giant. The information that Amazon is collecting from workers seems to vary based on the surveillance equipment being fitted in each van, but the company’s privacy policy covers a wide range of information.
Now, many workers are claiming that the AI system is incorrectly penalizing drivers. One driver at Amazon’s depot in Los Angeles referred to as “Derek” by VICE News, said that the AI camera in his van began to incorrectly penalize him when other drivers cut him off — a daily occurrence in big city traffic.
Read more at Vice News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan