Published 04:08 IST, June 5th 2020
Tesla's Elon Musk calls for breakup of Amazon because 'monopolies are wrong'
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on June 4 called for a breakup of the online retail giant after it had rejected a book questioning the risk of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on June 4 took an aim at Amazon and called for a breakup of the online retail giant after it had rejected a book questioning the risk of the coronavirus pandemic, a topic he has been expressing strong views on. The Tesla chief took to Twitter and wrote that it was time to break up Amazon and that monopolies were a bad thing. According to reports, Musk’s tweet was in response to writer Alex Berenson tweet where he said that his book on the COVID-19 pandemic was pulled from Amazon after it failed to meet the company's guidelines for sale.
'This is insane'
As per reports, writer Berenson has been a vocal critic of the coronavirus lockdown and had claimed that the risks and dangers posed by the coronavirus are much lower than what is believed by people, especially the younger generation. Musk has been an open critic of the US government's lockdown policy and has repeatedly spoken in favour of re-opening the country and industrial activities. Elon Musk has even caled lockdown a 'fascist act'.
Take a look at Elon Musk's tweet below as well as Alex Berenson's original tweet and screenshot showing that his upcoming book doesn’t meet Amazon guidelines for sale.
THEY CENSORED IT! It is based entirely on published government data and scientific papers. It doesn’t say coronavirus isn’t real or doesn’t kill people (in fact, the worst-case death toll is likely to be striking to people). And Amazon won’t run it.
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) June 4, 2020
This is insane @JeffBezos
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2020
Time to break up Amazon. Monopolies are wrong!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2020
Amazon sued for allegedly fostering spread of coronavirus
Amazon.com Inc has reportedly been sued for allegedly fostering the spread of coronavirus by mandating unsafe working conditions, causing at least one employee to contract COVID-19, which later led to the death of her cousin. According to an international media outlet, the complaint was filed on June 3 in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, by three employees of the JFK8 fulfilment centre in Staten Island.
As per reports, the lawsuit said that Amazon has made the JFK8 fulfilment centre, which employs approximately 5,000, a ‘place of danger’ by impeding efforts to stop coronavirus spreading, boosting productivity at the expense of safety. While speaking to the media outlet, one employee, Barbara Chandler, said that she tested positive for coronavirus in March and later saw several household members become sick, including her cousin who died.
The lawsuit reportedly said that Amazon forces employees to work at dizzying speeds, even if doing so prevents them from socially distancing, washing their hands, and sanitising their workspaces. Amazon, on the other hand, said that the company has always followed guidance from health authorities and its workplace safety experts since the coronavirus pandemic began. According to reports, the company has also spent more than $800 million on coronavirus safety in this year’s first half, including cleaning, temperature checks and face masks.
(Image Credit AP)
04:07 IST, June 5th 2020