Three Amazon software engineers claim they are under internal investigation for speaking out publicly about data center regulations in Seattle, which they believe is retaliation for expressing personal opinions.
The employees, who work in different divisions and live in Seattle, publicly urged the Seattle City Council to regulate data centers earlier this month. They now state they were informed of an investigation for allegedly representing the company without prior approval, a claim they vehemently deny.
“It’s a totally ridiculous claim. It’s patently absurd,” said Patrick Schloesser, one of the engineers. The trio has filed a complaint with Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights, accusing Amazon of illegally trying to intimidate and retaliate against them for their personal opinions on the environmental and social impacts of data centers.
Abby Lawlor, an attorney advising the employees, highlighted Seattle’s law protecting employees from employer discrimination based on political beliefs. “Here, we have legal tools to fight back and ensure that tech workers can be full democratic participants in these important local discussions,” Lawlor stated, urging the city to enforce its own protective laws.
Amazon, which previously stated it respects employees’ right to voice opinions, has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding this specific situation. The employees involved, who identified themselves as part of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, argue that Amazon has a pattern of silencing collective action and using confidentiality tactics to shield its projects from scrutiny.
The engineers stated they did not speak on behalf of Amazon, as the company had not made a formal comment on the data center measure. They felt compelled to join the growing movement against unfettered data center construction, with Schloesser telling the council, “I took the step to be public for the first time because I got sick of feeling afraid to stand up for my values.”
Their public comments contributed to the Seattle City Council unanimously passing a one-year moratorium on new data center construction, allowing time to establish new industry rules. The move comes as data centers face increasing scrutiny for their significant consumption of power and water, driven by the surging demand for AI.
