Amazon.com, Inc. — Ethics Grade D

Amazon.com, Inc. receives an overall ethics grade of D (32/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Technology / Retail. Market cap: Mega Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 20
• privacy: 25
• consumer: 45
• environment: 30
• humanRights: 40

Documented incidents (5)

• OSHA ergonomic hazard citations (high, 2022) — Cited by OSHA for ergonomic hazards across multiple fulfillment centers. Warehouse injury rates nearly double the industry average.
• Union-busting activities (high, 2023) — NLRB found Amazon illegally fired, threatened, and surveilled workers involved in union organizing at multiple facilities.
• Ring doorbell surveillance concerns (medium, 2023) — FTC fined Amazon $5.8M over Ring employees accessing customer camera feeds without consent.
• Self-preferencing in marketplace (medium, 2021) — EU filed antitrust charges alleging Amazon uses seller data to unfairly compete against third-party merchants on its own platform.
• Massive packaging waste (high, 2022) — Oceana report found Amazon generated 709 million pounds of plastic packaging waste, much of which ends up in waterways.

Documented good deeds

• Climate Pledge - Net Zero by 2040 — Co-founded The Climate Pledge. Ordered 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian.
• $2B affordable housing fund — Committed $2B to preserve and create affordable housing in communities where employees live.

Ethical alternatives

• Bookshop.org — Supports independent bookstores. Every purchase financially benefits local shops.
• Thrive Market — Organic, sustainable products. Carbon-neutral shipping. Free membership for low-income families.