In response to allegations from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about executives’ use of the Signal encrypted communications app, Amazon argues that the app is not suitable for substantive business discussions because of its short messaging format. Amazon is known for putting important ideas and strategies in comprehensive six-page memos rather than quick messages between executives. The company states that Signal was used for getting someone’s attention or having quick exchanges on sensitive topics like public relations or human resources, rather than structured, narrative text.
The FTC has raised concerns about the disappearance of Signal messages from Amazon regarding substantive business issues, suggesting that relevant information may have been destroyed. Amazon denies the claim, stating that there is no evidence that relevant messages were lost intentionally or that Signal was used to conceal communications from the FTC’s discovery requests. The company argues that such messages may not have existed in the first place, rather than being deliberately deleted. Amazon maintains that it has acted properly in response to preserving relevant evidence and has provided explicit instructions to disable Signal’s disappearing messages feature.
The dispute between Amazon and the FTC stems from the antitrust suit filed against Amazon, alleging that the company uses its power in e-commerce and online marketplaces to favor its own interests. The FTC has requested detailed instructions given to executives about preserving messages sent via Signal and similar apps, which Amazon has refused citing lawyer-client privilege. Amazon claims to have voluntarily provided the FTC with details about executives’ Signal conversations, including 2,900 screenshots, covering topics beyond what was requested by the FTC. The company argues that if there were any discussions of substance in the Signal messages, the FTC would have mentioned them in their motion.
Amazon quotes its founder, Jeff Bezos, stating in a deposition that discussing anything of substance in text messaging or Signal would be akin to business malpractice. Bezos raised concerns about the short messaging format being inadequate for serious business discussions. The company emphasizes that it has cooperated fully with the FTC’s investigation, providing over 1.7 million documents from various sources including email, internal messaging applications, and laptops. Amazon traces the initial use of Signal by executives back to the suspected hacking of Bezos’ phone in 2018, prompting the Amazon founder to seek more secure ways to send messages.
In conclusion, Amazon maintains that Signal was not used for substantive business discussions and argues that relevant messages may not have existed rather than being deleted intentionally. The company asserts that it has cooperated fully with the FTC’s investigation and provided extensive documentation as requested. Amazon emphasizes the limitations of using a short messaging format like Signal for serious business discussions and highlights the steps taken to ensure the preservation of relevant evidence. The outcome of the dispute between Amazon and the FTC will likely impact the ongoing antitrust case against Amazon.
