Amazon Shut Down Associates Account of Louis Rossmann, Who Reported On Account Ban Over False “Racist” Claims

Louis Rossmann, a popular YouTuber and well known right-to-repair advocate, says he has been punished by Amazon for sharing his opinion about the giant’s recent embarrassing decision to “reach into” a customer’s home and turn off his devices by disabling his Amazon account, based on what turned out to be a false accusation of racism. But this episode of Amazon’s knee-jerk reaction doesn’t seem to have been a teaching moment, because now the corporation is accused of going after commentators as no doubt a damage-control measure – but one that also might backfire. In Rossmann’s case, Amazon decided not to approve his Associates application, ostensibly for addressing the case that saw an Amazon delivery driver falsely accuse Brandon Jackson, who is black, of using his Amazon doorbell device to spew a racist slur. The driver filed a report and Amazon took his word for it, and in less than 24 hours all of Jackson’s smart devices were remotely shut down. Eventually, Amazon admitted to making a mistake – but now apparently, nobody is allowed to talk about it any longer. In a new YouTube video, Rossmann explained that his right-to-repair online activism is rooted in his belief that people should have more sovereignty and control in various areas of technology – while big companies are pulling in the opposite direction. And that is why the Amazon story attracted his attention. Rossmann added that his (logical) advice was not to put products that are so restrictive to their nominal owner in…Amazon Shut Down Associates Account of Louis Rossmann, Who Reported On Account Ban Over False “Racist” Claims