You're Only a Person If Jeff Bezos Says You Are
Or Elon Musk, or YouTube, or Warner Bros. Discovery, or...
The fact that you’re reading this right now means you’re overly dependent on cutting-edge technology in your daily life. I know I sure am. These days I spend most of my time online. I shop here,1 I work here, I get most of my news and movies and live TV and books and music here… Just like most Americans in 2023.
In many ways, it’s a lot more convenient than the old days. I’m no Luddite, obviously. But it also means your life can be upended without explanation for something you didn’t do, just because somebody somewhere said so.
Jarod Facundo, Tablet magazine:
On Thursday, May 25, Brandon Jackson, a software engineer in Baltimore County, Maryland, discovered that he was locked out of his Amazon account. Jackson couldn’t get packages delivered to his home by the retail giant. He couldn’t access any files and data he had stored with Amazon Web Services, the company’s powerful cloud computing wing. It also meant that Jackson, a self-described home automation enthusiast, could no longer use Alexa for his smart home devices. He could turn on his lights manually, but only in the knowledge that Amazon could still operate them remotely.
What happened? Why did Amazon.com unperson this guy without explanation?
Well, a black Amazon delivery driver thought he heard “racist remarks” coming from Jackson’s video doorbell. But when Jackson looked back at the footage, nobody was even home at the time of the delivery.
What’s more… Jackson is black. Whoops!
Jackson’s Amazon account was restored a week later. No apology.
Somebody you’ve never met can punish you remotely, with no proof you’ve done anything wrong, and there’s not much you can do but wait for your complaint to be noticed or taken seriously.
Which brings me to YouTube demonetizing Russell Brand’s channel.