Amazon’s suppliers are battling the company’s Big Brother-like system that checks that their seatbelts are fastened, that they do not drink coffee on the move, stop at stop signs and drive not more than 6 mph over the speed limit.
Amber Girts, a 21-year-old Amazon van driver, posted a viral video on social media detailing the “dystopian” surveillance methods utilized by the e-commerce giant to force its army of suppliers to comply with road safety regulations.
“We’re being followed, aren’t we?” Girts speaks in a viral TikTok video.
“This little guy is following us,” says the driver, pointing to a quad-lens camera attached to the windshield.
“He’s probably recording me, but he cannot hear me, in order that’s nice,” says Girts, shooting the nearly two-minute clip.
Girts then describes the Driveri camera system, which is produced by the AI-based company Netradyne.
“It has one camera facing me, one facing forward, and one on all sides [of the vehicle]Girts says.
Twitter user Wall Street Silver called the use of tracking cameras “dystopia”.
A source near Amazon told The Post that the security technology “was designed with the privacy of the driver in mind” and that the cameras “could be turned off during breaks.”
“The videos usually are not a live stream and drivers are free to dispute any elements they imagine are inaccurate depictions of events,” the source said.
Girts, who lives in Hickory, North Carolina, provided an in depth summary of how Amazon monitors its drivers.
“One camera in front tracks how close we’re to other drivers and whether we stop at stop signs,” explains Girts.
“If we do not stop at a stop sign – for instance, we stop completely – then we get a violation for that,” says Girts.
The driving force continues, “It’s tracking our speed so we won’t exceed the speed limit by greater than 6 mph or we’ll be over the speed limit.”
Girts then points to a seat belt buckle attached to the side of the driver’s side seat.
“These vans also track our buckle count, in order that they’ll count how again and again we buckle up,” says Girts.
“If we do not fasten our seat belts enough or if we miss a buckle, it is a seat belt violation,” says the driver.
As if that wasn’t enough, Girts says one in every of the cameras “watches me while I’m driving.”
“So I can not do much,” he says, including taking a sip of his iced coffee.
“If I would like a cup of coffee, I even have to stop so I can grab it and drink it,” says Girts, pointing to a plastic cup protruding from the cup holder on the left side of the steering wheel.
Girts goes on to elucidate that he has to stop “because if I do it while driving, it’s distracting the driver, which can be against the law.”
A source near Amazon told The Post that the company encourages its drivers to remain hydrated at work and that “suggestions to the contrary are unsuitable.”
Girts says he can be prohibited from “touching the center console, which is a distraction to the driver and a violation of the law.”
Girts goes on to explain how a co-worker was tagged because he was “itching his beard” – which apparently caused the AI surveillance system to think he was “on the phone”.
“So he was punished for distracting the driver for itching his face, but they disputed it,” says Girts.
Then the driver says he “cannot unfasten my seat belt until I park”.
“Everyone who works for Amazon hates these little things,” says Girts.
“We have now to do not forget that this is just for security reasons…” he adds.
Steve Kelly, an Amazon spokesperson, told The Post: “Van safety technology helps keep drivers and the communities where we deliver secure, and claims that these cameras are for anything are unsuitable.”
Kelly added: “Since we began using them, we have seen a 35% reduction in the collision rate across the network, in addition to a discount in distracted driving, speeding, sign and traffic light violations, and drivers not wearing a seatbelt.”
Several Amazon drivers have gone public with their complaints about working conditions lately.
Last September, an alleged driver claimed he had been sent home by his supervisor for using a gas station restroom during working hours.
One other driver took to TikTok and complained about having to make 172 deliveries during Hurricane Ian.