Federal regulators accuse Amazon executives of deleting posts

THE Federal Trade Commission East accusing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos And other high business executives of using disappear Messaging apps such as Signal has hide potential evidence In THE the agency in progress antitrust case against THE e-commerce monster.

"For years, Amazon high executives, including founder And ancient CEO Jeff Bezos, discussed] sensitive business imported, including antitrust, on THE Signal encrypted messaging application instead of E-mail," THE FTC alleged In A document deposit THURSDAY evening. "These executives turned on The signals 'disappear message' functionality, which irrevocably destroy messages, even After Amazon was on notice that Plaintiffs were investigate It is conduct. »

THE agency, which First of all accused Amazon of intentionally deletion posts In It is original antitrust complaint last autumn, East NOW ask A WE. District Court judge has order THE business has turn on documents related has It is handling of data. It is THE last salvo In A landmark case In which THE FTC East argue that Amazon abused It is dominance of e-commerce has squeeze merchants And bury rivals, leading has upper prices For customers.

Bezos possesses THE Washington Publish.

"THE FTC Conflicts are unfounded," Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle said In A statement, answer has THE deposit alleging destruction of evidence. "Amazon voluntarily disclosed employees' limit Signal to use has THE FTC years There is, thoroughly collection Signal conversations Since It is employees' Phone(s, And allowed agency staff has inspect those conversations even When they had Nothing has TO DO with THE FTC investigation. THE FTC has A complete picture of Amazon decision making In This case, including 1.7 million documents Since sources as E-mail, internal Messaging applications, And laptop (among other sources), And on 100 terabytes of data. »

Once A business knows he East be for follow-up Or East likely has be for follow-up, he has A legal duty has preserve documents And communications that could prove relevant has THE case. But In several court case In recent years, accused to have has been accused of intentionally turning has private crypt Messaging apps as Signal, which can be configured has permanently to erase posts After A certain Rising of time, exit No trace of What was said.

According to has THE FTC deposit, Bezos incited THE to use of Signal In Amazon, which he said began In 2019. THE FTC said he First of all sent Amazon...