Let’s do a quick substitution and see if you argument holds if we insert something we can hopefully both agree would definately be insignificant.
Let’s assume someone scheduled a vote to force Bezos to get a hair transplant or quit his position. Could we agree then that this would be insignificant to Amazons business? Could we agree that it would still be insignificant even if Amazon fought to drop that vote? I’d think so.
If majority of shareholders have strong opinion on the matter then it is significant, because that means they would prefer if their shares were associated with such thing. If they would prefer that, it means they want their shares slightly less without it. Which means they are worth less to them. Public companies are a mess.
> If majority of shareholders have strong opinion on the matter then it is significant
The process of determining whether a majority of shareholders have an opinion about anything is costly and tedious. That said, this doesn't appear to be a meaningless question from a shareholder perspective.
Suppose, do to some new efficiencies, Bezos proposes converting a few warehouses to detention centers. It would be an insignificant part of Amazon business. This project is potentially very politically costly to an apolitical company. Even though it's insignificant the shareholders want a vote on it.
You're trying to stop a tidal wave by standing in front of it instead of addressing the root problem: you have no trust in our systems to not abuse this technology, including law enforcement and the federal government.
Stopping Amazon's poorly implemented facial recognition system won't stop the N start-ups in the space who are doing it better. It won't stop the Chinese government, which is already using much more advanced versions of this technology to police a significant portion of the human population.
Let's say you do manage to stop Amazon from offering this service. Do you think the problem is resolved? Will police departments in the US stop trying to use this technology or will they likely source it from somewhere else with less publicity?
A publicly traded company should act in the interest of its shareholders. If a large portion of those shareholders hold certain moral standards that they value higher than money, shouldn't the company be held to those standards?
If people felt that strongly about a CEO's haircut, maybe it should be up for debate too, but it's a terrible comparison since it wouldn't affect society at large the way that large-scale surveillance does.
"Could we agree that it would still be insignificant even if Amazon fought to drop that vote?"
No I don't think we could agree here, because if it was significant to the company, then the stock holders would demand the hair change. And if it wasnt, then shareholders wouldn't, See, it's a catch-22. ;P
This is a poor example because it draws a comparison on what most would consider an invasion on a person's basic rights. I'm aware that public facing figures have to maintain an image but a hair transplant is more invasive than basic grooming.
A better comparison would be that the shareholders wanted it so that Beezos had to wear a well designed Amazon logo branded tie during business vs. whatever he wears. That example is far less invasive of personal rights and insignificant to the business operations. Most would agree it would be silly to waste time and effort worrying about Beezo's work tie design...
Or, keeping in line with the original example, that Beezos had to wear an Amazon hat/cap during business work.
You need to also provide a (plausible) reason for why this "insignificant" motion would be judged as significant by the SEC, else your argument is not coherent.
Let’s assume someone scheduled a vote to force Bezos to get a hair transplant or quit his position. Could we agree then that this would be insignificant to Amazons business? Could we agree that it would still be insignificant even if Amazon fought to drop that vote? I’d think so.