Footage From Amazon's In-Van Surveillance Cameras Is Being Leaked Online

Photo: Frederic J. Brown / AFP (Getty Images)

Being perpetually surveilled during working hours by your employer is one of the unique horrors of the modern world. Having your every move recorded to be scrutinized can be anxiety and stress-inducing. There is some crumb of privacy that the footage typically remains solely with the employer — but now, footage from Amazon delivery vans has recently been leaked online.

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Motherboard reports that video recorded from van-mounted cameras have been posted to Reddit over the past few weeks. The clips aren’t the feed themselves but phone-recorded video of computer screens. The hypothesis is that the video is from delivery service partner (DSP) stations within Amazon’s warehouses. DSPs are small-business contractors that actually fulfill the door-to-door deliveries from Amazon. The desks are supposed to be used to dispatch and monitor drivers, but it isn’t clear precisely who is posting the footage online.

Two years ago, drivers were required to sign forms giving consent to Amazon to collect biometric data. The camera system uses AI to identify what the driver is doing behind the wheel, usually inaccurately. Though, the drivers were assured that the cameras were only there for their safety. An Amazon spokesperson told Motherboard:

“Netradyne cameras are used to help keep drivers and the communities where they deliver safe. 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.”

If what Amazon is saying is true, the fault lies with the businesses that it contracts to fulfill its deliveries. Though, the candid peek into Amazon’s AI-powered surveillance structure is a worrying sign of the times.