Amazon: Difference between revisions

Amazon has faced significant scrutiny and criticism, particularly concerning its treatment of workers, marketplace practices, data privacy issues, and its impact on small businesses. It has been involved in various regulatory and legal challenges related to anti-competitive behavior, safety, and consumer protection, with calls for increased oversight on its business operations.

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|Amazon announced that In select countries such as '''India''', the Amazon Prime Music subscription will now contain Advertisements remove download functionality for users.

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#[[Amazon Prime Music ad insertion and download removal (2026)]]

#[[Amazon Prime Music including advertisements and removing downloads]]

|Amazon cancels order, and requiring age verification to reorder

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Amazon uses [[dark patterns]] for its subscription services, including tricking users into subscribing and making it very complicated to cancel. Moreover, some features of the service, such as free deliveries, are region locked to where you initially subscribed, forcing you to buy another subscription to be able to use the service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mabood |first=Wasay |date=2023-02-22 |title=Geo-block Content Using Amazon Location and Edge Services |url=https://aws.amazon.com/de/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/geo-block-content-using-amazon-location-and-edge-services/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260415190723/https://aws.amazon.com/de/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/geo-block-content-using-amazon-location-and-edge-services/ |archive-date=2026-04-15 |access-date=2026-04-06 |website=[[Amazon Web Services (AWS)]]}}</ref>

Prime video further only allows for HD streaming on [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] and [[MacOS]], despite streaming services such as [[Netflix]] allowing HD streaming on Linux.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prime Video System Requirements for Computers |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=atv_unsupported_systems_bannerlink?nodeId=GUVGB3QMQRYRERYW |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260214133717/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GUVGB3QMQRYRERYW |archive-date=2026-02-14}}</ref>

Amazon has progressively removed options for products purchased through the Kindle, effectively changing the meaning of purchases and ownership. It first removed the ability of users to lend e-books to one another, and later removed the ability to download purchased e-books to a computer.

Amazon Appstore is the primary app store for Amazon's Fire devices, and is also available on other Android devices. On August 20, 2025, Amazon has removed access to the app store for all non-Fire devices. Apps installed on non-Fire devices from the Amazon Appstore have ceased to function but Fire devices are still to be able to access the Amazon Appstore.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doffman |first=Zak |date=17 Aug 2025 |title=Amazon’s App Store Deadline—Stop Using Your Apps In 48 Hours |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2025/08/17/amazons-app-store-decision-48-hours-to-delete-your-apps/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251122155445/https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2025/08/17/amazons-app-store-decision-48-hours-to-delete-your-apps/ |archive-date=22 Nov 2025|access-date=30 Nov 2025 |website=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ravi |first=Nandika |date=20 Feb 2025 |title=Amazon will suspend support for its Appstore on Android |url=https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/amazon-will-suspend-support-for-its-appstore-on-android |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222204353/https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/amazon-will-suspend-support-for-its-appstore-on-android |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=30 Nov 2025 |website=Android Central}}</ref> There was no restitution for non-Fire users who may have purchased paid apps through the Amazon Appstore.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon Appstore on Android has been discontinued. |url=https://www.amazon.com/b?node=210942225011 |url-status=live |website=Amazon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maruccia |first=Alfonso |date=2025-02-21 |title=Amazon pulls the plug on its Android app store after 14 years |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/106872-amazon-appstore-android-discontinued-summer.html |url-status=live |website=TECHSPOT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Powel |first=James |date=2025-08-17 |title=The Amazon Appstore shuts down on Androids Aug. 20. Will you get a refund? |url=https://www.aol.com/amazon-appstore-shuts-down-androids-212404113.html |url-status=live |website=AOL / USA Today}}</ref>

 

Amazon Luna is Amazon's cloud gaming service, launched in 2020 as a competitor to Xbox Cloud Gaming and Google Stadia. In April 2026, Amazon abruptly ended support for individual game purchases and third-party storefronts including EA, GOG, and Ubisoft, stripping the platform of its "own your games" model. Previously purchased games will be rendered unplayable via Luna as of June 10, 2026, with no refunds offered. Save-game data can be downloaded until September 8th, 2026.   

Amazon sold physical devices that could displaying photos stored in its Amazon Photos cloud storage through its PhotosPlus service. Less than one year later, it cancelled the service, which [[Retroactively amended purchase|changed the functionality]] of the devices, including showing advertisements every few hours.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=21 Aug 2024 |title=Amazon cancels the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition’s main feature — focusing on photos |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/21/24225149/amazon-end-photosplus-subscription-echo-show-8-photos-edition |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251216124644/https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/21/24225149/amazon-end-photosplus-subscription-echo-show-8-photos-edition |archive-date=16 Dec 2025|access-date=4 Apr 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref>