Amazon Fights to Keep Project Kuiper Documents Under Wraps

Amazon is suing to stop the release of documents about its satellite project called Project Kuiper. This project aims to provide internet access worldwide using over 3,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, competing with SpaceX’s Starlink.

The Washington Post, owned by Amazon’s chairman Jeff Bezos, asked for these documents after Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) inspected a Project Kuiper facility in Redmond. They wanted records on the inspections to cover the satellite project better.

Amazon claims that the documents include very private information that could help its competitors. They argue that revealing these details could harm public safety and disrupt communications. Amazon believes these records are vital secrets that shouldn’t be made public.

Meanwhile, Washington’s L&I says these records should be shared because they don’t fall under any exceptions in the Public Records Act, leading to this legal conflict.

Concerns about a conflict of interest arise because Jeff Bezos owns both Amazon and The Washington Post. Some believe that this creates a problem when the newspaper reports on Amazon. Bezos himself has said he worries about this situation, acknowledging the challenges his ownership brings to the paper’s independence.

This dispute comes after The Washington Post decided not to endorse any candidate for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a first since 1988. This decision sparked criticism, and many readers canceled their subscriptions.

As the lawsuit progresses, if the court favors Amazon, it could make it harder for the public to access corporate records. If not, it could promote more transparency in how big companies are regulated.