According to internal documents obtained by The Intercept, Amazon plans to add a controversial content filter to its private messaging application, which is under construction and will be used for internal communication. This filter will allegedly ban words that are primarily critical of the company’s working conditions or that relate to organizing a union.
Once the filter is in use, the app will block or flag messages containing the words “union”, “slave labor”, “complaint”, “living wage” and similar words. Also, oddly enough, the documentation mentions that the word “toilet” will also be filtered out.
A source familiar with the matter told The Intercept that Amazon executives met in November 2021 to discuss the creation of a social media platform specifically for employees. Dave Clark, Amazon’s head of worldwide consumer business, reportedly recommended that the app offer a one-on-one social experience like the Bumble dating app, rather than serving as a major social hub like Facebook. It is planned to allow employees to highlight each other’s work by creating posts called “Calls”. Amazon wants to integrate these Calls into some sort of gamification program. It’s like the better you work, the more stars you get…
It is also alleged that during the meeting, managers discussed the “dark side of social media” and agreed to monitor employees’ posts. They apparently thought a little more after the meeting, and during that thought session, the source says, a list of “bad words” also came to mind.
The Intercept, in addition to profanity and other inappropriate words, includes “unfair”, “master”, “slave”, “injustice”, “ethics”, “diversity”, “justice”, “wage hike”, Phrases like “pay raise” and “This is stupid” or “This is worrisome” are also targeted by executives, he says.
Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait told The Verge: “Our teams are always thinking of new ways to help employees interact with each other. This particular program has not yet been approved and may change significantly or may not launch at all. “There is no plan to scan most of the words you will use. The types of words that can be detected are offensive or abusive words that are only meant to protect our team.”
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