"‘Millions of people’s data is at risk’ — Amazon insiders sound alarm over security", 24 Feb 2021

... Amazon is amassing an empire of data as the online retailer ventures into ever more areas of our lives. But the company's efforts to protect the information it collects are inadequate, according to insiders who warn the company's security shortfalls expose users' information to potential breaches, theft and exploitation.

The warnings about privacy and compliance failures at Amazon come from three former high-level information security employees — one EU-based and two from the U.S. — who told POLITICO they had repeatedly tried to alert senior leadership in the company's Seattle HQ, only to be sidelined, dismissed or pushed out of the company in what they saw as professional retaliation.

... Put together, their accounts paint a picture of a corporate culture at Amazon that they say prioritizes growth over other factors, such as the security of customers' information, compliance with rules designed to safeguard that data and the careers of employees the company hired specifically to flag problems.

... A spokesman for Amazon said that maintaining customers' trust by protecting their privacy and ensuring the security of their data is a "long-standing top priority" for the company.

"These inaccurate, unsubstantiated and dated claims don’t reflect our commitment to keeping personal information safe. Amazon has comprehensive, long-established privacy and security policies, procedures and technologies in place. We regularly audit our services to ensure compliance and have zero tolerance for employees at all levels who do not follow our policies," he said.