Amazon sued for selling hidden camera used to spy on underage girl

Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon is the subject of a lawsuit wherein a West Virginian man was able to spy on an underage Brazilian girl using a hidden camera, bought from the e-commerce platform. The suit, brought by the girl,alleges that Amazon failed to remove the controversial product from its catalogue despite inspecting it three times and knowing the harm it could cause.

The girl is suing the e-commerce giant for unspecified damages and is looking for a jury trial. Amazon attempted to get the case dismissed previously but a judge said Amazon cannot act surprised when a buyer used the product for its advertised purpose.

The said device resembles a clothes hook and was purchased from Amazon by the accused, identified as Darrel Wells. He spied on a foreign exchange student who was living in his home. He has been charged with child porn and 10 counts of criminal invasion of privacy.

According to a report in Fox News, the seller on the platform sold the camera s part of the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program. The company policy states that products sold in the FBA program go through a thorough inspection process under which it is checked if the product meets restrictions, is in good shape and meets the safety standards.

While the exact clothes hook hidden camera is no longer available on Amazon, several similar products are still available for purchase on the Amazon marketplace.

Previous instances

Notably, this is not the first instance when Amazon has come under scrutiny for selling hidden cameras that have been used for ulterior purposes. In June, earlier this year, the company agreed to a $5.8 million settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission after a former employee of its Ring doorbell camera unit was caught spying for months on female customers in 2017.

The FTC in its complaint stated the employee viewed videos made by at least 81 female customers and Ring employees using Ring products.

"Undetected by Ring, the employee continued spying for months," the FTC said, adding, "Ring's disregard for privacy and security exposed consumers to spying and harassment."

Apart from the $5.8 million settlement, Amazon also agreed to pay $25 million after Alexa (virtual assistant technology) was found violating the privacy rights of children. FTC found that Alexa failed to delete recordings at the request of parents and kept them longer than necessary.

(With inputs from agencies)