Where would we be without Amazon to protect us from hate speech?
Well, for starters, we’d probably be somewhat less inclined to tell them to get bent.
But here we are:
Under fire for yanking @RyanTAnd's book from its online store, @Amazon is invoking a new policy banning books that promote "hate speech."
Via @rSanti97https://t.co/RbHFfN9q26
— Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 24, 2021
More from the Washington Free Beacon:
The new policy, which was first reported by Just the News, marks a shift in Amazon’s approach. The company’s content guidelines previously contained no mention of hate speech. In an apparent contradiction, Amazon’s “Seller Central” page on “offensive and controversial materials” currently exempts books from bans on other products that “promote hatred.”
The policy could seemingly be invoked to bar sales of a wide variety of books previously deemed permissible on the platform. Amazon sells between 50 and 80 percent of all physical books in the United States.
Amazon removed Ryan T. Anderson’s When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment sometime before Monday, Feb. 22. Amazon’s removal of the book means that, in addition to not providing the ebook or audiobook, other booksellers on the platform are also banned from selling it.
Amazon says it moderates book content using “a combination of machine learning, automation, and dedicated teams of human reviewers. We’ll remove content that does not adhere to these guidelines and promptly investigate any book when notified of potential noncompliance. If we remove a title, we let the author, publisher, or selling partner know and they can appeal our decision.”
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And, as we know, appeals to such decisions are notoriously simple and straightforward.
How to Big Tech:
1. Decide to ban something.
2. Modify terms of service so that the thing you don’t like is banned.
3. “Sorry, your content is banned under our terms of service. There’s nothing we can do.” https://t.co/Mpllo9tNow— Max Nordau (@MaxNordau) February 24, 2021
Step 1: Ban book
Step 2: Retroactively concoct policy
Step 3: ?
Step 4: Utopia https://t.co/s8yzZhzbaQ— I got your #Unity right here (@jtLOL) February 24, 2021
Yep. Utopia!
Fahrenheit 2021
"If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none." -Ray Bradbury
— G. Nada (@NJ_Duff) February 24, 2021
So this is what societal progress looks like.
You can still buy Mein Kampf, tho! https://t.co/vRGNBqlLV5
— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) February 24, 2021
Hitler’s writings are on this website. Are those Hate speech? https://t.co/gyqbF3BMuR
— Sam (#FireBud) (@SPSnieder) February 24, 2021
Well, Amazon seems to legitimately believe that Ryan T. Anderson is worse than Hitler.
No, seriously:
https://t.co/w1qi9IWddL pic.twitter.com/AIlPuuU7Qs
— PoliMath (@politicalmath) February 24, 2021
https://twitter.com/MicahBBurke/status/1364656152928133125
Amazon as of 1pm CST: pic.twitter.com/S4CZ7y9H5r
— The Office of B. Johnson (@bu88a_johns) February 24, 2021
Gosh, look what is still available for sale on Amazon.https://t.co/n9Nj5bXQmo
I'd LOVE to hear a definition of hate speech by which Hitler's book…the one that led to the Holocaust…isn't banned, but factual and well researched discussions of transgenderism is. pic.twitter.com/PWFIRAx4SA
— Andrew Follett (@AndrewCFollett) February 24, 2021
Adolf Hitler — yes, Adolf Hitler — even has his own author page.
my favorite part of the Amazon Mien Kampf page is the link to "Follow the author: Adolf Hitler"
— PoliMath (@politicalmath) February 24, 2021
Look, @amazon even has an "author page" for… Adolf Hitler!
"Adolf Hitler (Author)
› Visit Amazon's Adolf Hitler Page
Find all the books, read about the author, and more."https://t.co/VpEN2bpk3r https://t.co/yl2WIB9LxU pic.twitter.com/l32i0W26U2— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) February 24, 2021
y'all I'm crying actual tears pic.twitter.com/SUBhtjKl2n
— PoliMath (@politicalmath) February 24, 2021
Hey, there’s J.K. Rowling, right under Adolf Hitler! We’re honestly kind of shocked she hasn’t been banned for hate speech yet, what with her outrageously hateful unscientific nonsense about biological men not being women.
https://twitter.com/AmySwearer/status/1364654714168758272
Which, fine. Amazon is a private company and can impose whatever arbitrary rules it wants on those wishing to use its platform.
But they're still lying liars who are lying out of their lying liar holes about what they're doing and why.
— Amy Swearer (@AmySwearer) February 24, 2021
Exactly.
A policy that should ban itself.
— NotJohn (@NotJohn19164199) February 24, 2021
Ban-ception!
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