A former employee of Amazon has alleged that the company violated UK sanctions by providing facial recognition technology to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Charles Forrest filed a lawsuit against Amazon Web Services, claiming he was unfairly dismissed after reporting various issues between November 2022 and May 2023. The case is being heard at a central London employment tribunal, where Amazon denies the allegations and plans to prove their innocence through the legal process.
Forrest claimed that Amazon sold its facial recognition technology to a Russian company, VisionLabs, through a shell company based in the Netherlands, which was used post-invasion. However, Amazon refutes these claims, stating that they did not provide any such services to VisionLabs according to available evidence and billing records. Forrest also reported the alleged wrongdoing to UK authorities, including the House of Commons defense select committee and the Serious Fraud Office.
Additionally, Forrest accused Amazon of breaking its self-imposed ban on law enforcement use of facial recognition technology, which was implemented after the murder of George Floyd. Despite the ban, Forrest claims UK police used the technology for identification purposes. Amazon denies these allegations, stating that a self-imposed moratorium does not equate to a legal obligation.
In response to Forrest’s allegations, Amazon stated that it was difficult to identify the specific information disclosed, legal obligations breached, or recipients of the alleged disclosures. The company also denied that Forrest had a reasonable belief that Amazon had violated international sanctions or breached its ban on police use of facial recognition technology. The case is ongoing, with both parties presenting their evidence in court.
Overall, the lawsuit involves serious allegations against Amazon regarding the sale of facial recognition technology to Russia and the violation of self-imposed bans. Amazon maintains its innocence and looks forward to resolving the case through the legal process. The outcome of the trial will determine whether Amazon is held accountable for the alleged wrongdoing or if Forrest’s claims are disproven.
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https://www.ft.com/content/f28377a1-432b-4f29-8544-e5ec7ac1cab9