It was reported that the American company “Amazon” is putting artificial intelligence-powered cameras in its delivery trucks in Britain
The move comes after the cameras were first introduced in America last year, according to a report from the British newspaper, The Telegraph.
The cameras monitor the performance of drivers on the road, and sound alerts if they are going fast or brake sharply, and the company will put assessments for them based on that, according to the British newspaper, “The Telegraph”.
Secret documents obtained by The Telegraph showed that Amazon created a points-based system to detect if drivers’ eyes were off the road, swaying or even sneezing.
Two cameras are installed in Amazon trucks in Britain, one facing the driver and the other facing the road.
Privacy activists considered the new “Amazon” cameras as “scary” and “intrusive”.
Silky Carlo, director of the UK-based Privacy Campaigns group, said: “Amazon has a track record of extensively monitoring low-paid people using often highly imprecise spying techniques, and then using that data to their disadvantage.”
“This kind of targeted surveillance can actually distract drivers, let alone demoralize them,” Carlo added. “It’s harmful to workers’ rights and intimidating privacy.”
And the report of the newspaper “The Telegraph” indicated that “Amazon” used the cameras in America to determine the salaries of drivers, and whether they would keep them or not.
An Amazon spokesperson told The Telegraph: “The purpose of introducing this technology is to keep drivers and communities safe, and there is no other reason behind that.”
He stressed that the company has conducted a comprehensive assessment of data privacy, in line with applicable laws.