Amazon Urges US Judge to Block FTC Probe into Data Preservation

Amazon has petitioned a US judge to prevent the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from delving into its data preservation practices. The move comes amidst an ongoing antitrust lawsuit where Amazon stands accused of leveraging its dominance in the retail market to stifle competition and inflate prices.

Amazon’s filing, presented on Monday night in a Seattle federal court, marks the latest chapter in a contentious legal battle with the FTC. At the heart of the matter lies the FTC’s assertion that Amazon failed to prevent the “widespread deletion” of crucial communications among senior executives using the secure messaging platform Signal.

The FTC, as reported by Reuters, alleged last month that Amazon executives had engaged in the intentional destruction of internal messages, a claim vigorously contested by the tech behemoth. Despite being under obligation to preserve such records, Amazon executives purportedly employed Signal’s “disappearing message” feature to erase crucial communications.

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In response to the FTC’s accusations, Amazon staunchly defended its position, arguing that the agency had yet to produce substantial evidence to support its claims. The company reiterated its denial of the allegations and reiterated its call for the case to be dismissed.

Central to Amazon’s defense is its assertion that the FTC’s demands encroach upon legally protected information. The company revealed that its founder and former CEO, Jeff Bezos, adopted Signal as a precautionary measure following a security breach in 2018.

Moreover, Amazon asserted its cooperation with the FTC, emphasizing its transparency regarding the use of Signal within the organization. The company claimed to have provided the FTC with comprehensive information, including screenshots, as part of the agency’s request for data.

Source: Reuters