Amazon EU Candidate Privacy Notice
We know that you care how we use information about you, and we appreciate your trust in us to do that carefully and sensibly. This Notice outlines how we collect and use the personal data of our candidates.
Who does this Notice apply to?
This Notice applies to all employment candidates of Amazon and its affiliated companies in the European Economic Area (the “EEA”), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
What personal data does Amazon collect about you, and how do we use it?
The Amazon company you are applying to controls what personal data is collected and how it is used. In some countries, this is referred to as the “controller”. To get the physical address of the Amazon company you are applying to, please contact us at EU-candidate-privacy@amazon.com.
Generally, the personal data we collect from you helps us manage your recruiting and hiring process, conduct Amazon’s businesses, and comply with Amazon’s legal obligations.
We collect and use the following categories of personal data from and about our candidates (some or all may apply to you):
- Identification data
- Contact information
- Demographic data
- Data regarding responses to screening questions
- Background check information
- Previous employment information
- Data pertaining to work preferences and abilities
- Resume data
- Information on certain health conditions (only where required by law)
- Job interview notes
- Assessment results
- Travel-related records
- Expense data
Collecting and using your data enables Amazon to administer the recruiting process, including setting up an electronic job applicant HR file; managing your application; conducting assessments; organizing interviews, including arranging or reimbursing for your travel; providing accommodations; processing interview feedback; on-boarding; and conducting background checks and screening. We will process your personal data to meet recordkeeping and internal and external reporting responsibilities. If necessary, your data will also be used in investigations and legal proceedings.
Typically, we do not use your personal data for so-called “automated decision-making”. We will inform you separately if your personal data is ever made subject to automated decision-making.
In the event of an unsuccessful application, most candidates want us to retain the data they provided so that we can contact them about other interesting job opportunities at Amazon. To make this possible, we ask you at the point of your first application whether, in the event of an unsuccessful application, you want us to keep the personal data that you provide to us for a period of time and make it available to recruiters within the Amazon group. If you consent, our recruiters will be able to consider and contact you for other Amazon job opportunities. You can revoke your consent at any time by changing the consent settings in your candidate profile.
Where does Amazon obtain your personal data?
We obtain most of your personal data from you. We also create personal data about you in the course of the application process (for example, during interviews or via job assessments). Additionally, we collect certain types of personal data about you from third parties, including, for example, from recruitment agencies.
With whom does Amazon share your personal data?
Your personal data will only be shared within Amazon and its affiliated companies where lawful to do so and for legitimate purposes. Amazon takes appropriate steps to ensure that individuals who receive your data are bound to maintain confidentiality of the data.
In particular, where relevant your personal data will be shared with:
- Amazon Web Services Inc. and Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL for data hosting and IT services;
- Amazon Europe Core S.à.r.l. and Amazon EU S.à.r.l. for the purposes mentioned above, as various senior executive managers and HR functions are located here;
- Shared services entities (e.g. Amazon Data Services Czech Republic s.r.o., Amazon /Slovakia/ s.r.o., Amazon.com Services LLC.) for the provision of shared services, for example, for application-processing and onboarding support, travel-expense management, IT support and maintenance.
If your application is unsuccessful and you have given us consent to retain your data, we will also share your personal data with recruiters within the Amazon group.
In addition, we use third parties for recruitment-support services (e.g., iCIMS, Inc., SalesForce Inc., work agencies). In providing such services, these third parties process your personal data on Amazon’s behalf. For any third party that we use, we will confirm that they provide sufficient guarantees regarding the protection of your data. We will require that any third party complies with our data security standards and international transfer restrictions.
Where relevant, we will share your personal data with third parties who act as controllers in their own right for the purposes described above and in accordance with the data protection laws, including:
- HR services providers
- Insurance providers and brokers
- Governmental organizations or agencies, including law enforcement
- External advisors (such as legal advisors, accountants)
- Employee benefits providers
Does Amazon transfer your personal data to countries outside the country/region in which you apply?
On some occasions, for example, when we or one of our service providers have employees or operate equipment in other countries, we will transfer your personal data to countries outside the country/region where you work and outside the EEA. For all such transfers, we provide appropriate safeguards through EU Standard Contractual Clauses based on the European Commission’s model clauses. If you would like to see a copy of any relevant provisions, please contact us (see the “Questions and queries” section below).
How is your personal data secured?
We maintain appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the confidentiality of your personal data, including security measures to protect against unlawful or unauthorized processing of personal data, and against the accidental loss of, or damage to, your personal data.
How long does Amazon store your personal data?
If your application for employment is successful and you commence employment with Amazon, your personal data will be maintained consistent with Amazon’s employee data retention policies.
If your application for employment is not successful and you have not provided consent, we will generally keep your personal data beyond the end of the application process for a limited period of time specific to the country where the job is located (i) to meet recordkeeping requirements, and (ii) for potential use in legal proceedings. We will keep assessment data and master candidate data for a period of up to three years to avoid unreasonable duplications of recruiting efforts.
If your application for employment is not successful and you have provided consent, we will keep your data for up to seven years for the purpose of considering and contacting you for future job opportunities.
What are my rights under applicable data protection laws?
You have the right to request access to, correction, or deletion of your personal data, to ask for data portability and the restriction of processing, as well as – depending on the laws of your country – the right to define instructions on your personal data after your death. You are also entitled to object to the processing of your personal data in certain instances. When we process your personal data based on your consent, you may withdraw your consent for the future at any time. To make a data subject request, please contact us on
EU-privacy-DSR@amazon.com. For other general questions and queries on privacy and the applicable privacy rights in your country/region, please contact us as outlined under “Questions and queries?” below. You can also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
Questions and queries?
If you have any questions or concerns about your privacy, please contact your Amazon hiring entity contact (or the respective data protection officer, where appointed) or send an email to
EU-candidate-privacy@amazon.com.
Our business changes constantly, and our Privacy Notice will change also. If the change is fundamental or will significantly affect you, we will provide you with the updated Notice in advance of the changes taking effect. You can also check this Notice at your convenience to see any recent changes. Unless stated otherwise, our current Notice applies to all information that we have about you. We stand behind the promises we make and will not materially change our policies and practices to make them less protective of candidate personal information collected in the past.