D.C. Sues Amazon for Delivery Discrimination

Washington, D.C.'s attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that the company has covertly excluded residents in two majority-Black zip codes (20019 and 20020) from its expedited Prime delivery service since mid-2022. The lawsuit claims that Amazon switched to third-party delivery services in these areas, resulting in a drastic decrease in delivery speeds—only about 25% of packages were delivered within two days in 2023, down from over 72% in 2021. Despite paying the same Prime membership fee, approximately 50,000 residents are receiving significantly slower service compared to their neighbors in other zip codes. Amazon attributes this change to safety concerns for delivery drivers but has not informed affected customers about the exclusion. Attorney General Brian Schwalb criticized Amazon for charging residents for a service that is not being provided, arguing that such practices are discriminatory. The lawsuit highlights ongoing issues of service disparities within Amazon's Prime program.