Amazon shut down a customer’s smart home devices after a delivery driver accused him of racism

Jun 25, 2023

Amazon shut down a customer’s smart home devices after a delivery driver accused him of racism

Jun 25, 2023

Amazon shut off a man’s smart home devices for a week after a delivery driver falsely accused the customer of hurling a racial slur via a doorbell intercom, the tech giant confirmed Thursday.

According to the NYP, Brandon Jackson, who is black, said he found himself digitally exiled by the company on May 25 — less than 24 hours after an Amazon delivery driver dropped off a package at his home and reported him for being racist.

The homeowner, who detailed the saga in a Medium post, said he was informed of the unwarranted lockout after contacting Amazon when he realized he couldn’t interact with his smart home devices.


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“I was told that the driver who had delivered my package reported receiving racist remarks from my ‘Ring doorbell’,” Jackson said.

Jackson, an engineer at Microsoft, was quick to point out flaws in the allegation — including that none of his family members were actually home when the package was dropped off.

He then reviewed footage from the various surveillance cameras set up outside his home and confirmed no such racial slur was uttered.

“Instead, the Eufy doorbell had issued an automated response: ‘Excuse me, can I help you?’” Jackson said.

“The driver, who was walking away and wearing headphones, must have misinterpreted the message. Nevertheless, by the following day, my Amazon account was locked, and all my Echo devices were logged out.”

Jackson insisted he supported Amazon taking extra precautions to protect delivery drivers, but questioned why he had to be locked out of his account for a week as an internal probe was carried out.

“Despite promptly submitting video evidence immediately upon learning of the issue, my account remained locked,” he said. Despite numerous calls and emails, the homeowner said his account wasn’t reinstated until May 31.

About the Author

End Time Headlines is a ministry founded, owned, and operated by Ricky Scaparo, established in 2010 to equip believers and inform discerning individuals about the “Signs and Seasons” of the times in which we live. Ricky authors original articles and curates news from mainstream sources, carefully selecting topics, verifying information, and utilizing artificial intelligence tools to ensure content is both timely and accurate. Every piece is personally reviewed and edited by Ricky to align with the ministry’s mission of providing a prophetic perspective on current events.

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