Amazon Smart Home User Locked Out for a Week Over Racism Accusation

He was accused of racism by an Amazon delivery driver.

A Microsoft engineer recently went through an unanticipated digital hardship when he was locked out of his smart home for a week in Baltimore, Maryland.

An Amazon delivery driver falsely accused Brandon Jackson of being racist, leading to the incident. Jackson, who mainly uses Alexa on Amazon Echo devices to communicate with his smart gadgets, was perplexed and angry when he discovered that he could not operate any of the devices on May 25, according to The Independent.

He offered proof that the claim was unfounded, yet his account remained locked, subjecting him to a protracted struggle.

Jackson's blog post describing the event claims that the problems started the day after he received a parcel at his US home last month. His smart gadgets, including Alexa, became unresponsive. Jackson stressed that the circumstance was more than a hassle; it left him with many unanswered questions.

Jackson contacted Amazon for help and discovered that his account had been deactivated due to the delivery person reporting that he had heard racial statements. This charge surprised Jackson, particularly considering that the delivery man was of the same ethnic origin as him.

The tech professional offered recordings from his smart doorbell to prove his innocence; these recordings showed that the driver had erroneously misunderstood the device's automatic "Excuse me, can I help you?" answer.

No Warning From Amazon

He was shocked that the video amply supported the driver's incorrect interpretation by unequivocally demonstrating that nobody was there during the event, per IGN. After straightening things out with Amazon, Jackson's account was frozen for a week. He expressed surprise that Amazon had not acted more sensibly, like getting in touch with him or giving him a warning email before removing his access to his own house.

After receiving the video, Amazon launched an inquiry, and almost a week later, Jackson's account was eventually unlocked.

Jackson is now debating stopping using his Amazon Echo devices due to the upsetting incident. To provide greater control and prevent such situations in the future, he discussed his intentions to explore alternate possibilities, such as Raspberry Pi devices, the Daily Mail reported.

Amazon acknowledged that the customer had not done improperly in a statement it sent to DailyMail.com in reaction to the event. They affirmed their dedication to allaying Jackson's worries and putting policies in place to stop such incidents from happening again.

The tech company emphasized its commitment to giving consumers a "great experience" while protecting the security of its delivery personnel.

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