Amazon's new arbitration terms block class actions as researchers achieve near-perfect WiFi identification, while NIH cuts a key clinical research grant.
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Amazon customers received notice Friday of significant changes to the site's terms and conditions, now requiring disputes to be resolved through arbitration with a class action waiver. The company framed the shift as a "fast and efficient" way to handle issues, though it prevents customers from seeking resolution through judges or juries in most cases. The timing comes as courts have yet to rule on the legality of similar arbitration clauses in other contexts.
In separate tech developments, researchers published findings in Science Daily showing that ordinary WiFi signals can now identify individuals with near-perfect accuracy. The technique analyzes subtle variations in how radio waves reflect off people's bodies, potentially enabling surveillance without cameras or sensors.
Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health announced it is ending a key grant program that supported early-career clinical researchers. The decision could impact pipeline development for future medical scientists, per reporting from Science.org.
Sources: 1. The Verge: Amazon is trying to crush class-action suits before they get started — https://www.theverge.com/tech/980752/amazon-class-action-arbitration-terms-and-conditions (src1) 2. Hacker News: Ordinary WiFi can now identify you with near-perfect accuracy — https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260811052857.htm (src2) 3.