Senators ask Jeff Bezos to explain how Amazon recommends products
Two high-profile Senate Democrats are asking Amazon for answers about its “Amazon’s Choice” badge, as it could be deceiving consumers into buying “inferior” products.
In a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Monday, Senators Bob Menendez and Richard Blumenthal asked for more clarity on how the Amazon’s Choice program works, citing a recent BuzzFeed report that showed it often endorses defective or poor quality items.
The senators asked for a “detailed explanation” on the selection process for the Amazon’s Choice badge, including the algorithm used to make the determination and whether employees actually review each item before assigning the distinction. They’re also asking what Amazon is doing to verify user reviews, which could affect what products get the badge, and if any financial compensation is involved in the process.
The letter is the latest example of Washington’s growing concern of Big Tech, specifically regarding the control Amazon has over consumer behavior as more shopping activity moves online and to mobile devices.
An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider that it uses investigators and automated technology to prevent and detect fake reviews at scale.
More Amazon news
Amazon Alexa listens and transcribes everything you say
Amazon Alexa transcripts cannot be deleted You can delete voice recordings so Amazon can't listen to your conversations with Alexa anymore, but text records are a different story. Amazon doesn't need to hear your voice recordings to know what you've said....
Jeff Bezos unveils plans to send a spaceship to the moon
"It's time to go back to the moon, this time to stay" The billionaire unveiled his unmanned lunar lander Blue Moon and spoke of his hopes to send people to the moon by 2024. Jeff Bezos has announced he is going to send a spaceship to the moon, reports SKY...
Amazon may have fully automated warehouses in 10 years
It’s going to be a while before the robots take over The future of Amazon will undoubtedly involve artificial intelligence and robotics, but it’s an open question at what point AI-powered machines will be doing a majority of the work. According to Scott...
