https://www.ft.com/content/f28377a1-432b-4f29-8544-e5ec7ac1cab9

https://www.ft.com/content/f28377a1-432b-4f29-8544-e5ec7ac1cab9

  • A former Amazon employee, Charles Forrest, has alleged that Amazon breached UK sanctions by providing its facial recognition technology to a Russian company after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
  • Forrest claims he was unfairly dismissed from Amazon after he blew the whistle on this alleged sanction breach and other issues.
  • Amazon denies Forrest's claims, stating the allegations "lack merit" and that it did not sell its Rekognition facial recognition technology to the Russian company.
  • Forrest alleged that in 2020, Amazon made a deal with the Russian company VisionLabs to give them access to its facial recognition technology through a shell company in the Netherlands, and that this technology was then used after the invasion.
  • Forrest also claimed that Amazon broke its own moratorium on police use of its facial recognition technology, alleging UK police continued to use it after the ban.
  • Amazon acknowledged Forrest had raised the police use issue, but denied the allegation, stating a self-imposed moratorium does not constitute a legal obligation.
  • The case is being heard in a preliminary employment tribunal hearing in London, where Forrest is bringing a claim against Amazon for unfair dismissal.
  • Amazon denies Forrest's claims of wrongdoing and says he was dismissed for gross misconduct, including refusing to work his contractual hours and failing to attend meetings.
  • Forrest also reported the alleged sanctions breach and other issues to the UK's House of Commons defence select committee and Serious Fraud Office.
  • The outcome of the employment tribunal case is still pending, with Amazon stating it looks forward to demonstrating the "claims lack merit" through the legal process.