Amazon has been linked to many controversial issues over the years, but they have been about unfair treatment towards employees most of the time. Now, the retail giant is being slapped with a lawsuit after selling spycams on its site, which led to the illegal use of the buyer.
Amazon Sells Bathroom Spycams
A former Brazilian foreign exchange student who used to live in West Virginia filed a lawsuit stating that she was spied on for months in her private bathroom. This was done through a spycam that looked like your ordinary towel hook.
Amazon believed that they were blameless since they weren't responsible for alleged crimes their customers had done, but a West Virginia judge says otherwise as he rejects the retail giant's motion to dismiss.
The plaintiff argued that the spycam was already inspected by Amazon's safety team three times and still did not see the potential harm that the product could cause. This reasoning was also hard to ignore, considering the screenshot of the product.
The listing's photo shows the product with captions stating that "it won't attract attention" and that it is "a very ordinary hook." Since the descriptions were approved, it seemed like Amazon was okay with the suggestive caption.
Based on the description, it appeared like the product was meant to "record private moments in a bathroom." US District Judge Robert Chambers expressed that "Amazon cannot claim shock when a consumer does just that," as mentioned in Ars Technica.
He stated that Amazon sold a camera, knowing that it would be used to record a third party in the bathroom. Given that it was a spycam, it was also inferred that the recording would be done without the consent of the subject.
The plaintiff even accused the retailer of conspiring with the seller to "market and distribute a defective product both knew was intended and used for illegal and criminal purposes," with the company even boosting the product's sales.
It gets worse for Amazon since the offense was not limited to violating the privacy of the plaintiff. The camera was also used to record footage of a minor. The judge says that if proven, the physical harm to the plaintiff will be considered severe.
He argued that the harm is of such magnitude due to the emotional trauma inflicted during a child's "tender years," which could have an "indelible effect" that they cannot recover from. In the event that Amazon loses, the company could potentially answer for punitive damages.
What Are Hidden Cameras for Anyway?
Hidden cameras or spycams can actually be beneficial when used properly. This can be installed in your home to keep an eye on your family or watch out for intruders who might easily spot obvious CCTV cameras. Amazon even has a listing of a towel hook camera now despite the lawsuit.
These spycams are usually in the form of everyday objects that can hide in plain sight in living rooms, kitchens, and even outdoors. However, it's an entirely different story when it comes to towel hooks, which are usually placed in bathrooms.
We don't have to tell you how private bathrooms are. So when Amazon sells towel hooks with spycams, it's safe to say that they are not for safety purposes. This is exactly what makes it hard for Amazon to argue that the product is harmless.
