Seattle, Washington – The Federal Trade Commission has accused Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and other top executives at the company of using disappearing messaging apps like Signal to hide potential evidence related to the agency’s antitrust case against the e-commerce giant.

In a document filed on Thursday evening, the FTC alleged that Amazon’s top executives, including Bezos, used the Signal encrypted-messaging app to discuss sensitive business matters, such as antitrust issues, instead of email. They reportedly turned on Signal’s ‘disappearing message’ feature, which permanently deletes messages, even after being notified that the agency was investigating their conduct.

The FTC had initially accused Amazon of intentionally deleting messages in its original antitrust complaint last fall. Now, they are seeking to compel the company to provide documents concerning its data management practices. This case is significant as the FTC argues that Amazon’s dominance in e-commerce has led to unfair competition practices, resulting in higher prices for consumers and harm to competitors.

According to the FTC’s filing, the use of Signal within Amazon began in 2019, instigated by Bezos himself. The agency sent a letter to Amazon in June 2019 requesting them to preserve documents, but Bezos was not informed until April 2020. Despite this, executives continued using Signal’s disappearing-message feature. Amazon only disclosed this issue to the FTC in March 2022, shortly before news outlets publicized their use of the app.

The allegation of intentionally using encrypted messaging apps to obstruct court proceedings extends beyond Bezos to include current CEO Andy Jassy, General Counsel David Zapolsky, former CEO of Worldwide Consumer Jeff Wilke, and former CEO of Worldwide Operations Dave Clark. The FTC’s filing suggests that there is evidence of competition-related discussions in the remaining messages, showcasing the widespread use of Signal within Amazon’s executive ranks. The case highlights the challenges of safeguarding evidence in the digital age and the legal obligations companies have once they become aware of pending litigation.