Washington Post: The Technology 202: Amazon’s new CEO will inherit major political headaches
Jeff Bezos is stepping aside as CEO of Amazon at the most politically perilous moment in the history of the company he founded.
Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy is set to take the reins as the company reaches new heights of financial success related to the coronavirus pandemic. For the first time, the retail giant earned more than $100 billion in revenue in a single quarter, reporting yesterday it recorded $125.56 billion in sales between October and December.
…
Yet Amazon’s critics saw the situation differently — and seized on the leadership transition as a sign Bezos was hiding from the political scrutiny.
Sarah Miller, the executive director of the Economic Liberties Project, has called for the Biden administration to bring an antitrust case against Amazon. She does not think the leadership overhaul will have much impact on the company’s behavior — or its treatment of smaller businesses and workers.
“Today’s announcement is an effort by Bezos to hide from the policymakers, antitrust enforcers and local communities that are waking up to Amazon’s monopoly power,” Miller said. “He can try to refocus eyes on his philanthropy, but he should still be held accountable for what happens at Amazon.”