Amazon uses app to monitor delivery drivers, triggers privacy concerns

While Amazon calls  the app a tool to improve safety of drivers, privacy  proponents and drivers say that it is also a tool for surveillance, CNBC  reported on Friday. 

The  app helps Amazon to monitor the behaviour of  the drivers while on delivery service. 

The delivery  drivers are  required to  download and continuously run it. 

It  gives them a score that  measures their driving  performance. 

However,  some delivery drivers,  cited by CNBC, find  the app invasive and said  that they  at times face unfair disciplinary action from their manager due to bugs  within the app. 

"Safety  is Amazon's top priority. Whether it's state-of-the art telemetrics and  advanced safety technology in last-mile vans, driver-safety training programs, or continuous improvements within our mapping and routing technology, we have invested tens of millions of dollars in safety mechanisms across our network, and regularly communicate  safety best practices to drivers," an Amazon  spokesperson was quoted as saying. 

These  concerns come at a time when Amazon  earlier this month raised  eyebrows by confirming that it is introducing always-on cameras  in vans used by some of its contracted delivery partners,  causing alarm among privacy  advocates.