Amazon is barring third-party retailers on their site from marketing products featuring Nazi and other white nationalist symbols using their site. The move comes amid increasing pressure on the retail giant to take action.
“We have reviewed the products and content referenced in your letter, and removed the listings that were found in violation of our policies and permanently blocked the seller accounts that were in violation of Amazon policy,” said Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president for public policy, wrote in a letter sent to Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota. “We are also reviewing the seller accounts for potential suspension.”
The move comes after a pair of non-profit organizations — the Partnership for Working Families and the Action Center on Race and the Economy — called on Amazon to take action.
In the group’s report, Delivering Hate: How Amazon’s Platforms Are Used to Spread White Supremacy, Anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia, and How Amazon Can Stop It, the groups pointed out listings featuring Nazi swastikas and other symbols of hate.
After the mass murder of nine black worshippers at the Emanuel AMC Church in Charleston, South Carolina, many retails, including Amazon, made moves to halt the sales of Confederate flag merchandise. Nevertheless, the groups were able to locate several examples still for sale via Amazon.
Most disturbing was the groups’ discovery of Racist Propaganda aimed at children, including Confederate soldier costumes for kids and infant onesies featuring burning cross imagery.
Representative Ellison wrote to Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, expressing concern in the wake of the report. In his letter, Ellison said, “I am disturbed that such a powerful corporation is materially fueling the rise of hate groups in our country.”
Amazon is working to remove all of these items from their fulfillment centers.
Image via screen capture from the original report. Text added by the author.