The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

Amazon’s legendary “Prime Day” is coming up in just a few days on June 23-26. Much like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, this means sales on lots of items on Amazon’s vast marketplace. As such many people flock to the giant’s website to get sweet deals on everything from computers to small kitchen appliances and more.

While many of us are feeling the financial crunch more than ever (myself included), I urge you, dear reader, to resist the allure.

I don’t typically have strong opinions about where people chose to shop or how they decide to spend their heard-earned money, but in this post I hope to lay out a convincing case for why Amazon is full-stop "evil," without caveat, and is undeserving of your money on a moral and ethical level no matter what your values are.

Here’s why (in no particular order).

Table of Contents

• Amazon is an Enemy of Civil Rights
• Amazon Is An Enemy of the Free Market
• Amazon Is An Enemy of Human Rights and Workers
• Amazon Is An Enemy of Democracy
• This Problem Does Not Exist in a Vacuum
• Facing Reality and Taking Next Steps

Amazon Is An Enemy of Civil Rights

Do you believe that black lives matter? Do you think police have too much funding, too little oversight, are a tool of an oppressive regime, and/or are a private police force for the rich to keep the poor and minorities in line?

Well guess what: up until 2020 Amazon sold their facial recognition software (called “Rekognition”) to law enforcement agencies all cross the country.

Like every other facial recognition software out there, this system was notoriously bad at accurately identifying minorities. I highly recommend the Netflix documentary Coded Bias for a deep dive into this.

Amazon only stopped at the start of the George Floyd protests, and even then they only issued a “one-year moratorium.” This has since been extended indefinitely, but frankly that doesn’t matter. It’s still just PR.

Why do I say that?

For one, that ban only applies to the US. Amazon is still free to sell their faulty facial recognition services to other countries and industries.

Second, Amazon still gives police across the nation unfettered access to Ring doorbells, allowing police to have vast real-time surveillance networks paid for by private citizens who may not even know law enforcement has this sort of access. Police then go on to use this access to spy on and identify – poorly – everyone, even peaceful protesters.

Ring tried to tackle this controversy back in 2021 by adding end-to-end encryption, meaning only the owner has access the footage. However, this feature is not enabled by default. (You can find instructions on how to enable it here.)

Then, late last year Ring announced plans to partner with Flock Safety to allow law enforcement to request access to your footage anyways. This method of doing things is unarguably an improvement since cops now have to request access instead of just having 24/7 access any time they want.

However, choosing to partner with Flock is appalling. Flock is a highly controversial company notoriously unpopular even among non-privacy-minded citizens, notorious for being abused, sharing data with ICE, and just being perceived of as all-around creepy. The company is intentionally evasive, collects illegal data, and their CEO is openly critical of privacy advocates, arguing that by valuing our privacy we must be pro-crime.

The partnership was later cancelled after Amazon announced their "Search Party" feature which was too dystopian even for the general public and made fools of themselves.

Amazon Is An Enemy of the Free Market

“Well I think all lives matter,” you may say to yourself, “and I support our law enforcement officers.” That’s cool. If you’re more right-leaning, you probably believe in the free market and you’ll likely be furious to know that Amazon actively crushes small businesses.

Amazon has been repeatedly proven to use data gathered from small merchants who use their marketplace to create competing products. This allows Amazon to avoid the mistakes that those smaller businesses may have already made in pricing, advertising, and other areas.

This isn’t how the free market works. This is corporate espionage.

Amazon has such a large market share - including some users who exclusively shop on Amazon - that to not sell on Amazon isn't an option for many sellers, especially smaller ones who need every chance they can get to get their products in front of eyes. This renders the classic free market argument of “just go somewhere else” impossible.

Not like it would matter if Amazon had this unfair advantage or not, because Amazon can also just use their massive empire to undercut the competition, selling products at a massive loss until the competitor is eventually driven out of business, then bouncing prices back up to profit-making levels once there’s no alternatives to compete with.

If that's still not enough, you should know that Amazon purposely lies to you about sales. One journalist tracked Amazon prices on popular items that typically go on sale during Prime Day and found that Amazon raised prices in the weeks leading up to Prime Day. This creates the illusion that prices are being deeply discounted when in reality they cost the same as they would any other time of year.

I know many readers will roll their eyes at this go and "yeah, we knew that." Please resist the urge to be defeatist and just accept this kind of abuse from companies. Respect yourself. On that note:

Amazon Is An Enemy of Human Rights and Workers

Maybe you’re an apolitical person (there’s really no such thing and that’s actually a very “privileged” stance to take, but I digress). Regardless of political beliefs (or lack thereof), we’re all human beings who deserve to be treated with respect.

Amazon doesn't agree with you there, either.

Amazon is unbelievably hostile to worker’s rights. For years, Amazon Prime delivery drivers have been reporting unrealistic expectations like being expected to deliver over 250 packages per shift, missing pay, intimidation, favoritism, and buggy AI tracking their “performance” (even off the clock). They're not even allowed to sing along with the radio or talk to themselves.

Many of them have reported peeing in bottles to try to stay on schedule. One reported a hospital-worthy injury where he was advised to finish his deliveries (several hours’ worth) before seeking medical treatment. Some claim they’re instructed to “drive recklessly” to meet targets. Now Amazon wants to disable their air conditioning to save a few bucks on gas.

Things aren't much better in the warehouse. Workers report timed bathroom breaks and not being allowed sit down except on breaks. In 2018 Amazon patented a design for wearables in the workplace to spy on employees and enforce these dystopian, inhuman conditions even further.

When workers expressed an interest in unionizing so they could force more humane working conditions, Amazon used their powerful surveillance network to spy on and infiltrate those groups and even attempted to put cameras over the ballot boxes during a union vote to “ensure integrity.” The company continues to allege it has a "First Amendment Right" to prevent unionizing.

It's normal for companies not to care about their employees (see my comment earlier about being defeatist) but Amazon takes it to a whole new level. Quite frankly I’m surprised they haven’t just moved overseas to sweat shops.

Amazon Is An Enemy of Democracy

“Okay,” you might be thinking, "maybe we should do something about this. Maybe reign in Amazon a little bit and enforce some oversight." Good luck. At this point Amazon is more powerful than the US government.

Amazon spent $18 million in 2025 on lobbying, making them the 12th biggest spender in 2025. Amazon's lobbying expenditures have been on the decline since their record high of $21 million in 2022, probably because they don't need to lobby so hard in the current political environment.

Not like any other regimes would probably fair better. Big Tech lobbying is at an all-time high of $226,000 per day in the first 90 days of 2026.

The fact is that Big Tech companies can outspend and outlast government lawyers any time the government tries to hold them accountable. Companies hire expensive lawyers who are field experts and pay them to focus all their time and energy only on that one company and that one subject/department.

It's not just about the payroll, though. Consider the Home Depot data breach settlement, which was settled 10 years after the incident. This is hardly an outlier. Most cases where the US government tries to crack down on tech companies spend about 5-10 years in court before ending in a settlement. When a case drags on for that long, taxpayers start to feel like it's a waste of their money for a symbolic victory when the time and funds could be better spent elsewhere.

Of course, these cases do matter, but they’re very abstract and it’s hard to care when you’re paying for car repairs multiple times per year because of damage on poorly maintained roads, or when your kid brings home a history book from 2001, or when you work 60 hours a week across two jobs and still can't afford basic healthcare.

Even when legislatures make honest efforts to hold Big Tech companies accountable, the settlements usually end up in paltry sums that the company can earn back in less than day. When a fine is that small, it's not a fine. It's just a cost of doing business.

Not like any major companies going to see much resistance or attempts at regulation anyways when the government is actively dismantling any oversight of corporations and the current administration is "the most pro-business in history."

This is not how democracies are supposed to function, where people can pay to win. That’s an oligarchy.

This Problem Does Not Exist in a Vacuum

When it comes to entertainment, there's a saying: "separate the art from the artist." Basically every celebrity is controversial in some way, whether it's simply being difficult to work with or having a criminal record or serious allegations.

Still, many fans justify their enjoyment of that person's music, movies, books, or whatever by saying that they don't support the person, they simply enjoy the work.

The reality, though, is that in most cases it's impossible to support a person's work without supporting them directly. Every sale, stream, rental, ticket, or merch item is added to their royalty check.

The same is true with Amazon. In no way can you give any money to Amazon and NOT be directly contributing to these problems I’ve listed above. Every penny you spend can be directed towards developing new surveillance tech or hiring new sales people to score new government contracts.

I've already outlined that the government can't hold Amazon accountable (though I still strongly encourage you to contact your representatives and make your concerns about Amazon known). Our best shot at bringing Amazon to heel is by voting with our dollar, hitting them in the only place that matters to them, and forcing them to change.

Every dollar adds up.

Facing Reality and Taking Next Steps

I know that was a really harsh stance to take, so let me also pause for a moment to step back and address the reality on the ground:

I know that sometimes there are things that you absolutely cannot get anywhere else except Amazon, especially right now. In many cases, Amazon costs significantly less or has products you literally cannot find anywhere else delivers to places nobody else does.

I hear you, and I agree, but I want to challenge you to ask yourself a few questions before making your next Amazon purchase.

First, I'd like to ask you to simply try to avoid making Amazon your first choice. The vast majority of people I'm criticizing are the people who shop almost exclusively on Amazon, making it the first (or only) place they check for pretty much any purchase.

Try to break that habit. In many, many cases I find that I can get a product for the same price (or sometimes even cheaper) through another retailer like Target or Walmart.

In a lot of cases I can even get the product within a couple hours. Sure, that usually requires me to put on pants and leave the house, but god forbid I get some sunlight and fresh air.

If you aren't sure what other options exist, a quick web search should solve that. Try things like "best Amazon alternatives for [item]." I'm a big of Newegg for electronics, Ikea for cheap furniture, and Target for general purpose items or non-specialized clothes.

Second, I’d ask you to weigh your definition of “expensive.” Maybe something is cheaper on Amazon, but paying $5 more on a $100 product – especially a luxury you can live without – is not significantly more expensive.

Of course, I want to continually drive the point home that this depends on your financial situation and I fully recognize that. If you're in a situation where literally every penny counts, do what you have to do. I'm speaking to the people who don't really need that item and are only saving a few bucks.

If you've shopped around and found that you can't find the product at a reasonable price anywhere else, I'd like to offer some suggestions on how to at least use Amazon in a way that protects your privacy and thus weakens their data empire.

Amazon's advertising arm (which is heavily dependent on personal data) accounts for just under 10% of their revenue, but that still means billions of dollars. If you're forced to use them, give them as little money as possible.

I'll start by addressing a common question in the privacy space: if you already have an account, you’re probably fine to keep using it. If you create a new account, it might get flagged and suspended. If your goal is privacy and you do it wrong, Amazon will still trace it back to you anyways. Feel free to keep your current account, but I also suggest using the tools in the next paragraph.

If you're making a new account, here's what I'd recommend:

• Always use strong passwords and 2FA to protect your account from unauthorized access.
• Use an email aliasing service to protect your real email address from spam and data breaches, and to reduce how much data Amazon collects on you.
• Use a PO Box or Amazon's delivery lockers to avoid giving them your real address (note that some delivery lockers require you to download the Amazon app to open them).
• Use a payment masking service like Privacy.com to both protect your privacy and defend against cyberattacks. You could also buy Amazon gift cards in cash at most stores, but I've heard some people claim that their accounts were closed without warning and any money they preloaded into the account was not refunded, so be careful not to put too much money into your account unless you're ready to spend it.
• Avoid keeping the Amazon app on your phone as much as possible. In addition to reducing how much data Amazon can collect, this will add friction so you don't mindlessly scroll and spend money you shouldn't.
• Using a VPN to make your account might flag your new account as suspicious and get it shut down. Instead you could try making your account from a public place like a library or coffee shop so that the IP address doesn't connect back to your home.

Some people in the privacy space prefer to make new accounts for every purchase. I have no strong opinion on this strategy, since ideally you won't be using Amazon frequently anyways. That said, remember every time you make a new account Amazon might flag it and shut it off. There are pros and cons to each.

Last but not least, I encourage you not only to avoid Amazon itself, but avoid their subsidiaries. Using them will still contribute to Amazon’s bottom line. Unfortunately this includes popular brands like Twitch, Audible, IMDB, GoodReads, Zappos, and over 100 others. I know there's a lot and that may not always be possible, but as I said before we can’t depend on government to reign them in.

There are often many feasible alternatives. You can get books - and audiobooks - for free through your public library. That usually involves the use of a third-party app such as Libby, which still comes with privacy concerns, but again in this case we may have to accept a number of “lesser evils.”

In the case of GoodReads, there are privacy-respecting alternatives like Bookwyrm. For IMDB, I simply use Wikipedia. Once again, a web search should help you find alternatives you can at least check out and explore.

Prime Day is this week. Please, avoid it if you can. Be the change you want to see in the world. Amazon is not an inevitability. The world existed before them, and can exist without them. If nothing else, we can at least try to force them to be a better company.

A drop of water alone isn't much, but combined we can be an ocean.