Amazon is investigating claims that employees accepted bribes to disclose confidential data that would give sellers that use its marketplace a competitive advantage.
The company confirmed the investigation following a report in the Wall Street Journal that Amazon employees, working through brokers, have sold internal sales data, the email addresses of product reviewers, and the ability to delete negative reviews and restore banned accounts.
“We are conducting a thorough investigation of these claims,” an Amazon spokeswoman said. She said the company would pursue penalties against employees who violated its code of conduct and ethics and against merchants who disregarded its policies.