On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission shared that it was going to investigate Amazon and other retailers for the alleged selling of unlawful electronic devices.
In a statement to NBC News, the FCC shared that along with Amazon, some drone and technology companies were marketing jammers online, despite warnings from the FCC that they are illegal to sell.
“We have several ongoing investigations into retailers, including Amazon, for potential violations of Commission rules related to the marketing and sale of equipment without proper FCC authorization,” FCC spokesperson Jonathan Uriarte said in the statement.
The media outlet shared that the FCC had no further information to share at this time, and Amazon has not responded to requests for comment.
Jammers are used for multiple purposes, including keeping unwelcome drones away, disabling security cameras, and blocking Wi-Fi networks.
However, the FCC warns they can interfere with emergency communications, normal phone use, and critical infrastructure like airport navigation systems.
Because of this, the manufacturing, importation, and sale of jamming equipment is in violation of the Communications Act of 1934.
This is not the first time that Amazon has found itself in the crosshairs of federal regulators, as the Federal Trade Commission announced a lawsuit against the company in September of last year, claiming the online store abused its dominance in the e-commerce space and harmed fair competition.
“Amazon is now exploiting its monopoly power to enrich itself while raising prices and degrading service for the tens of millions of American families who shop on its platform and the hundreds of thousands of businesses that rely on Amazon to reach them,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement at the time. “Today’s lawsuit seeks to hold Amazon to account for these monopolistic practices and restore the lost promise of free and fair competition.”