Amazon might be turning itself from an e-commerce company to a surveillance company.
Anti-trust researchers and data privacy experts recently dubbed Amazon's $1.7 billion acquisition as "the most dangerous, threatening acquisition in the company's history" as it furthers its monopoly in the smart home industry, per Business Insider.
The popular e-commerce platform wants to acquire the creator of the Roomba robot vacuum to "further make customers' lives easier and more enjoyable."
Experts' Opinion On The Amazon-iRobot Acquisition Deal
Amazon and iRobot mentioned in a joint press statement on August 5 that they had agreed to enter into a definitive merger agreement in which Amazon will acquire iRobot for $1.7 billion while Colin Angle will retain his position as iRobot's CEO.
Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices, mentioned that Amazon's acquisition of iRobot will lead to the invention of new ways to make customers' lives easier and more enjoyable.
Angle is also of the same mind as Limp, with him saying that he believes Amazon shares iRobot's passion for building "thoughtful innovations" that allow people to do more with the time they have at home.
He also mentioned that he is excited to see what iRobot and Amazon can build together for customers in the future.
However, many anti-trust researchers and data privacy experts do not agree with Amazon and iRobot's plans.
Ron Knox, senior researcher, and writer for the Institute of Local Self Reliance mentioned on his Twitter account that the deal might be the most dangerous, threatening acquisition in the company's history.
Knox explains that Amazon has not just acquired iRobot's robot vacuums but also the company's vast data set and a new way into people's homes and lives.
"Amazon's own devices, including [the] Astro robot and its Echo devices, do much of what the iRobot operating system does," Knox said. "this deal will take its biggest rival out of the market."
Keep in mind that Amazon's current market share is 56.7%.
Furthermore, the acquisition of iRobot allows Amazon to get a better look into your personal life and data thanks to iRobot's data set and Roomba vacuum robots.
Evan Greer, director of the nonprofit digital rights organization Fight for the Future, agrees with Knox. In an interview with Wired, Greer said that Amazon is a surveillance company first as being one drives its monopoly power and profit.
"Amazon wants to have its hands everywhere, and acquiring a company that's essentially built on mapping the inside of people's homes seems like a natural extension of the surveillance reach that Amazon already has."
Despite growing concern, Amazon stated through a spokesperson that protecting custoemr data has always been "increadibly important," and that customer trust is something it has worked hard to earn and keep everyday.
Will The Deal Go Through?
President Robert Weissman of the non-profit consumer rights advocacy group Public Citizen argues that regulators should prevent Amazon's acquisition of iRobot due to its monopolistic and intrusive nature.
Weissman isn't alone in this argument. Bloomberg reports that antitrust experts expect Amazon's deal to encounter a "tough review" from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), led by Chair Lina Khan.
However, there is a chance that Amazon could overcome the FTC's challenge and acquire iRobot anyway due to the Commission's current evidentiary burden.
Related Article : Amazon To Acquire iRobot in $1.7B Merger Agreement
