The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and other high-ranking company executives used disappearing messaging apps like Signal to hide potential evidence in the agency's ongoing antitrust case against the e-commerce giant.
FTC Accuses Amazon Execs of Deleting Messages
In a document filed Thursday evening, the FTC alleged that Amazon's top executives, including founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos, have been discussing sensitive business matters, such as antitrust, over the Signal encrypted-messaging app instead of email.
The agency, which initially accused Amazon of deliberately deleting messages in its original antitrust complaint last fall, is now requesting a US District Court judge to compel the company to provide documents on its data management.
This development marks a significant turn in a high-profile case where the FTC alleges that Amazon has exploited its control over the e-commerce industry to disadvantage merchants and stifle competition, ultimately resulting in increased consumer prices.
When a company becomes aware of a lawsuit or the possibility of one, it is legally obligated to preserve any documents and communications that could be important for the case.
However, in various court cases in recent years, individuals have been accused of deliberately resorting to private encrypted messaging apps such as Signal.
These apps can be set up to automatically delete messages after a specific period, effectively erasing any evidence of the conversation. The FTC's filing claimed that the use of Signal within Amazon was initiated by Bezos and reportedly started in 2019, Bloomberg reported.
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Amazon Under Antitrust Investigation
In June 2019, the FTC reached out to Amazon, requesting the preservation of documents. This action served as a notice to the company that it was under investigation for potential unfair competition practices.
According to the FTC, Amazon did not inform Bezos until April 2020. Furthermore, it is alleged that several executives continued to utilize Signal's disappearing-message feature even after that.
The company only reported the issue to the FTC in March 2022, shortly before a Wall Street Journal article brought attention to Amazon executives' use of the app.
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