Amazon yields’: Jim Jordan shares proof of White House influence on Amazon’s book censorship, Amazon obeys
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan Exposes Amazon’s Censorship
In a captivating thread titled “The Amazon Files,” Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, revealed emails that he claims demonstrate Amazon’s compliance with pressure from the Biden administration to censor books.
The emails, both from the Biden administration to Amazon and internal messages within the company, indicate that Amazon implemented a “Do Not Promote” feature for books expressing hesitancy about COVID vaccines on the same day it met with the White House in March 2021, according to Jordan.
These emails also reveal that nearly three years ago, senior White House advisor Andy Slavitt, who was simultaneously pressuring Facebook to suppress vaccine-related stories, reached out to Amazon to address what he referred to as ”propaganda and misinformation” in books sold on the platform. Slavitt expressed concern about the search results for “vaccines” on Amazon.
Jordan questioned how the Biden White House determined that there was “propaganda and misinformation” in Amazon’s bookstore. He claimed that the White House conducted keyword searches for controversial topics and contacted Amazon when it was dissatisfied with the search results.
THE AMAZON FILES – “feeling pressure from the White House”
Internal docs subpoenaed by @JudiciaryGOP & @Weaponization indicate that @amazon bowed down to Biden White House pressure to censor BOOKS.
🧵 Thread:
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 5, 2024
In response to the Biden administration’s request, Amazon appeared to consider taking action but refrained from “doing a manual intervention” due to concerns that it would attract attention from news outlets like Fox News.
Jordan asked why the Biden White House was so displeased with Amazon. He suggested that Amazon’s commitment to providing customers with access to diverse viewpoints and allowing them to think for themselves was unacceptable to the Biden administration.
Jordan revealed that a week after the initial email, Amazon met with the White House. Internal documents showed that Amazon sought clarification from the administration on whether they were being asked to remove books or if the concern was primarily about search results and order. The documents also acknowledged that Amazon was “feeling pressure from the White House” and anticipated a negative story from BuzzFeed regarding books on Amazon related to vaccine misinformation.
On the same day as the meeting with the White House, Amazon enabled the “Do Not Promote” feature for books questioning the effectiveness of COVID vaccines. Additionally, the tech giant explored other ways to reduce the visibility of books disliked by the Biden White House, according to Jordan.
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“That’s right. Amazon caved to the pressure from the Biden White House to censor speech,” declared Jordan, emphasizing the significance of this revelation.
Jordan concluded the thread by announcing that the Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government are investigating the Biden administration’s efforts to pressure Amazon into implementing more censorship.
This discovery adds Amazon to the growing list of tech giants that have faced pressure from the Biden administration to censor vaccine-related information. Last summer, Jordan released the “Facebook Files,” exposing how the Biden administration pressured Facebook to suppress speech it disagreed with, including limiting The Daily Wire’s reach on the platform. In December, The Daily Wire reported that YouTube complied with the White House’s censorship requests before Facebook was similarly pressured, as revealed in documents shared with Jordan.
How did the meeting discussed in the article shape Amazon’s decision to implement the “Do Not Promote” feature for books expressing hesitancy about COVID vaccines?
The meeting discussed strategies to combat the spread of “misinformation” on the platform. According to Jordan, this meeting led to Amazon implementing the “Do Not Promote” feature for books expressing hesitancy about COVID vaccines.
The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee emphasized the importance of free speech and the right to access diverse viewpoints. He raised concerns about the government’s influence on private companies and their potential to suppress information and control the narrative.
Jordan’s revelations sparked a debate on social media and among lawmakers, with many expressing alarm at the potential infringement on free speech and the Biden administration’s involvement in pressuring Amazon to censor books.
Critics of Amazon argue that the company, as a private entity, has the right to make decisions about what content it allows on its platform. They contend that Amazon’s decision to implement the “Do Not Promote” feature for certain books is a reasonable response to combating misinformation and promoting public health. They argue that it is the responsibility of tech companies to ensure the accuracy and safety of the information they provide to their customers.
Supporters of Jordan and those concerned about free speech rights point to the potential dangers of allowing the government to pressure private companies to censor information. They argue that this sets a dangerous precedent and opens the door to further restrictions on freedom of speech and access to information.
The revelations from Representative Jim Jordan have generated significant attention and have led to calls for further investigation into the relationship between tech companies and the government. The debate about the balance between protecting public health and safeguarding First Amendment rights is likely to continue in the months ahead.
It remains to be seen what action, if any, will be taken in response to these revelations. As the discussion surrounding Big Tech and censorship continues to heat up, lawmakers and tech companies will face growing pressure to address these concerns and find a balance between free speech and public safety.
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