Amazon Reportedly Demands That Delivery Drivers Submit to Invasive Biometric Surveillance or Be Fired

[cheryl]

Amazon Reportedly Demands That Delivery Drivers Submit to Invasive Biometric Surveillance or Be Fired - Motley Fool

AI-powered dash cams monitor a driver's every move and upload potentially risky incidents to the cloud for review.

A month after Amazon began outfitting its vans with new surveillance cameras equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) to keep a watchful eye on its drivers, the company is reportedly demanding that its drivers either agree to be monitored biometrically while in the vans or get fired.

Motherboard, a tech news website, reports that 75,000 U.S. delivery drivers, as a condition of employment, are being given a consent form to sign acknowledging they agree to facial recognition and the collection of biometric data while driving company-branded vans. Amazon says the cameras are to improve driver safety.

The consent form says that to deliver packages, drivers must agree to have the vehicle tracked for location, movement, speed, acceleration, braking, turns, following distance, and more.

 

[Wally]

I thought these drivers work for independent contractors? Sure sounds like Amazon has a lot of input as if they were employed by them not someone else?

 

[Operational needs]

Good for them for quitting rather than put up with that. If Amazon has a difficult time getting drivers, they’ll have to stop monitoring them so closely. No way in hell would I agree to that, especially for so little pay.

 

[allahuakbar]

Those same cameras are being tested in a few hubs in the south. It’s all over the ups Facebook groups.

 

[MAKAVELI]

I thought these drivers work for independent contractors? Sure sounds like Amazon has a lot of input as if they were employed by them not someone else?

They have company drivers as well. But this seems to apply also for those contractors that use Amazon branded vans.

 

[Wally]

They have company drivers as well. But this seems to apply also for those contractors that use Amazon branded vans.

All the Amazon drivers in my area work for someone else who like you said, contracted and bought the route. If Amazon has that much control, how "independent" are they? Sounds to me like they are employees.

 

[Fido]

Why on earth do companies think that a camera will make someone improve physically on how they drive a vehicle.

Its just scare tactics for discipline.

If the union abides by this in ups I’m going to throw my dolly into that camera until it breaks.

 

[Wally]

Why on earth do companies think that a camera will make someone improve physically on how they drive a vehicle.

Its just scare tactics for discipline.

If the union abides by this in ups I’m going to throw my dolly into that camera until it breaks.

It all about speeding you up. It's a never ending ojs.

 

[It will be fine]

Why on earth do companies think that a camera will make someone improve physically on how they drive a vehicle.

Its just scare tactics for discipline.

If the union abides by this in ups I’m going to throw my dolly into that camera until it breaks.

Cameras do change behavior. My guys have learned to avoid hard bumps that trigger the cameras. They slow down more for railroad crossings and such.

 

[Non sequitur]

Workplace conditions are a factor when it comes to compensation. Detailed description of the technology and its use should be given to anyone involved.

 

[Big Rigger]

Bargaining for conditions of employment?

 

[allahuakbar]

According to a user on Reddit we just started getting the fright liners with the 360 cameras in them.

 

[MECH-lift]

they can film me taking a big nasty rain bag dump ....on a nice summer day...

 

[baklava]

It’s a free market. Don’t like it, quit and get another job. Right, union brothers?