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Retail giant Amazon has updated its terms of service, now allowing consumers to file class action lawsuits rather than forcing them to mediate disputes in arbitration.
The move comes after approximately 75,000 arbitration filings were made against Amazon by consumers claiming that the home assistant device Alexa recorded them without their knowledge or consent, reports Bloomberg. Arbitration, originally meant to be an easier and cheaper option to settle disputes, has been used by big companies like Amazon to avoid costly class action lawsuits – and accountability, according to some critics.
The change does not yet apply to third-party sellers on Amazon’s massive online store, nor does it apply to delivery drivers, according to Bloomberg.
In addition to the thousands of arbitration filings, Amazon reportedly faces, several class action lawsuits have been filed since the extent of Alexa’s recordings was revealed.
Alexa is a wildly popular personal assistant device, with more than 200 million sold since it was introduced by Amazon in 2015. The devices all contain a microphone-equipped speaker that allows users to interact with the device, including inputting commands and asking questions. In addition, Alexa can be integrated into other Amazon and non-Amazon products.
In May, a class action lawsuit was filed against Amazon in California federal court claiming that the devices permanently record and store user information, including outside conversations with others. In addition, the plaintiff alleged that Amazon employs human and artificial intelligence analysts to interpret and evaluate the tens of millions of conversations and other information recorded by Alexa, using it for its own business purposes to create profiles of users that contain deeply personal information that is integrated with shopping history and other data obtained by the tech giant.
In 2019, Amazon faced a class action lawsuit claiming it collected and used children’s information without consent through the Echo Dot kids edition. The Echo Dot kids edition is designed for kids to play music, tell stories, answer questions, tell jokes, and more; however, plaintiffs alleged that Amazon used confusing jargon to get the consent of parents to collect a host of information about their and other people’s children.
Amazon contends that users can delete their voice recordings and it uses the information to enhance and personalize their software, reports Bloomberg. According to plaintiffs in the Alexa voice recording class action lawsuits, the news comes as a surprise. Under its new terms of service, Amazon may see more consumers turning to class action lawsuits.
Do you own an Alexa? Are you concerned that it may be recording? Do you plan to file or join a class action lawsuit? Tell us in the comment section below!
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582 thoughts onAmazon Allows Class Action Lawsuits After Facing 75K Alexa Arbitration Filings
i own amazon ring and alexav echo device. I would like to join in on the lawsuit.
I own several Alexa and ring devices including a child one for my son I would like to join