• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026

1

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

2

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

3

Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
SuccessAmazon

Amazon driver breaks down the A.I. system watching workers for safety violations like drinking coffee while driving and counting the times they buckle their seatbelt

Orianna Rosa Royle
By
Orianna Rosa Royle
Orianna Rosa Royle
Associate Editor, Success
Down Arrow Button Icon
Orianna Rosa Royle
By
Orianna Rosa Royle
Orianna Rosa Royle
Associate Editor, Success
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 27, 2023, 6:54 AM ET
Woman grabbing coffee cup in car
“If I want a sip of my coffee I have to pull over,” the Amazon driver complained. Vera Petrunina—Getty Images

In 2021, Amazon started installing artificial intelligence cameras to monitor its delivery drivers while they work.

The e-commerce giant claimed that the technology was meant to prevent accidents.

The cameras record “100% of the time,” Amazon told CNBC, with four lenses capturing the road, driver, and sides of the vehicle to flag 16 different safety violations including speeding, failing to stop at a stop sign, hard-breaking, or distracted driving.

But according to one Amazon worker, the A.I. system can be used to “ding” drivers over numerous violations. 

“If I want a sip of my coffee I have to pull over”

The driver, with the username @ambergirts, took to TikTok to show off the tracking system in her company vehicle.

“That little guy is how we are tracked,” Amber Girts said while zooming her camera in on a rectangular contraption attached to her rearview mirror. “It’s probably recording me recording it, but it can’t hear me so that’s nice.”

@ambergirts

explaining amazon things ✨ have a great day 🫶🏼 #fyp #trending #amazon #amazondelivery #amazondeliverydriver

♬ original sound – ambergirts

She then continued to break down the safety violations the device flags to her employer, such as if drivers go more than six miles over the speed limit.

And while many of the features are understandable, she complains about the lack of freedom drivers have because of the constant surveillance.

For example, Girts claims that the number of times she buckles and unbuckles her seatbelt is tracked, and if she doesn’t buckle up enough then that’s a “seatbelt violation.”

Want to connect your phone to Bluetooth? No can do, because touching the van’s central console is a “driver distracted violation,” according to Girts.

Even drinking while driving, which is not illegal, is flagged by Amazon.

“If I want a sip of my coffee, I have to pull over so that I can grab it and drink it. Because if I do it while I’m driving then that’s a ‘driver distracted,’ which is also a violation,” she added.

Girts says the cameras can sometimes mistake human behaviors like scratching as dangerous.

She claimed that “one guy was itching his beard, one time, and the camera picked it up that he was on the phone and so he got a driver distracted violation for itching his face—but they disputed it.” 

“Everyone who works for Amazon pretty much hates those little things but we have to remember it’s just for safety,” she concluded.

An Amazon spokesperson told Fortune: “The safety technology in delivery vans help keep drivers and the communities where we deliver safe, and claims that these cameras are intended for anything else are incorrect.

“Since we started using them, we’ve seen a 35% reduction in collision rate across the network along with a reduction in distracted driving, speeding, tailgating, sign and signal violations, and drivers not wearing their seatbelts.”

Sources within Amazon also claim drivers are encouraged to stay hydrated while they work, and that the cameras can be turned off during breaks to ensure driver privacy.

Monitoring is a micromanaging measure

Amazon workers aren’t the only ones who “hate” the company’s A.I. system.

Around 500,000 people have viewed the TikTok video, and thousands have taken to the comments section to echo their distaste.

Many viewers commented that the practice highlights a lack of trust at the company, with one top comment reading: “That’s way too much micromanagement.”

Another agreed: “Talk about having a boss breathing down your shoulder.”

Other viewers commented that they’d never work for a company that has such measures in place, while some questioned whether there are ulterior motives to the safety measures, like cheaper insurance rates.

Even an Amazon warehouse worker chimed in to say, “I thank my lucky stars every day I don’t drive for them.”

Meanwhile, one user suggested that with the vast scenarios that could result in a violation, they “would straight fail without even knowing what I did wrong,” and Girt responded that “this happens a lot actually.”

According to the Information, too many safety violations could lead to a driver being fired by the company.

It’s not the first time the monitoring measures have been criticized, with privacy activists previously describing it as “creepy,” “intrusive,” and “excessive.”

Big Brother Watch unsuccessfully called for the installations to be put on hold in the U.K. in 2022, a year after it had already been rolled out in the U.S.

“Amazon has a terrible track record of intensely monitoring their lowest wage earners using Orwellian, often highly inaccurate, spying technologies, and then using that data to their disadvantage,” Silkie Carlo, director of the U.K.-based privacy campaign group, told the Telegraph.

“This kind of directed surveillance could actually risk distracting drivers, let alone demoralizing them. It is bad for workers’ rights and awful for privacy.”

Learn how to navigate and strengthen trust in your business with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter examining what leaders need to succeed. Sign up here.
About the Author
Orianna Rosa Royle
By Orianna Rosa RoyleAssociate Editor, Success
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Orianna Rosa Royle is the Success associate editor at Fortune, overseeing careers, leadership, and company culture coverage. She was previously the senior reporter at Management Today, Britain's longest-running publication for CEOs. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

Melinda French Gates’ advice to new IPO millionaires: ‘Give half your money away’
Startups & VentureMost Powerful Women
Melinda French Gates’ advice to new IPO millionaires: ‘Give half your money away’
By Emma HinchliffeJune 13, 2026
3 hours ago
Aravind Srinivas wearing glasses
SuccessBillionaires
CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
By Preston ForeJune 13, 2026
4 hours ago
Jamie Dimon says remote work breeds ‘rope-a-dope politics’ and stunts young workers’ growth
Successchief executive officer (CEO)
Jamie Dimon says remote work breeds ‘rope-a-dope politics’ and stunts young workers’ growth
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 13, 2026
4 hours ago
Raquel Urtasun
SuccessCareers
The ‘AI superstar’ CEO behind a self-driving truck unicorn on why Gen Z is a better hiring bet than industry veterans
By Preston ForeJune 13, 2026
5 hours ago
Bret Johnsen looks up, smiling, as he claps his hands.
C-SuiteSpaceX
SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen quietly engineered its historic IPO and became an overnight billionaire
By Sasha RogelbergJune 13, 2026
6 hours ago
t
C-SuiteElections
Upstate New York sticker mogul has a bronze Trump statue, MAGA hip-hop album and a presidential endorsement. The local machine wants the Marine
By Michael Hill, Anthony Izaguirre and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
22 hours ago

Most Popular

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
4 days ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
1 day ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
2 days ago
U.S. energy secretary says 7 million barrels of oil exiting Persian Gulf daily, but Chevron CEO rebuts the claim
Energy
U.S. energy secretary says 7 million barrels of oil exiting Persian Gulf daily, but Chevron CEO rebuts the claim
By Jordan BlumJune 12, 2026
18 hours ago
Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access
AI
Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access
By Jeremy KahnJune 13, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.