GOP: White House pressured Amazon to ‘censor’ COVID-related books

[KARAH RUCKER]

FIRST IT WAS THE TWITTER FILES.

THEN THE FACEBOOK FILES.

AND NOW – THE AMAZON FILES –

ALL RELATED TO ONLINE CONTENT MODIFICATION AND REPORTED SUPPRESSION –

ALLEGEDLY WITH A NUDGE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THE NEWLY UNVEILED AMAZON FILES – RELEASED BY HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JIM JORDAN –

SUGGEST THE WHITE HOUSE PRESSURED AMAZON TO RESTRICT CERTAIN BOOKS AND COVID-RELATED ITEMS OUT OF MISINFORMATION CONCERNS.

A WHITE HOUSE EMPLOYEE EMAILS AMAZON.

QUOTE “WHO CAN WE TALK TO ABOUT THE HIGH LEVELS OF PROPAGANDA AND MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION OF AMAZON?”

ANOTHER EMAIL.

“IF YOU SEARCH VACCINES UNDER BOOKS, I SEE WHAT COMES UP. I HAVEN’T LOOKED BEYOND THAT BUT IF THAT’S WHAT’S ON THE SURFACE –

IT’S CONCERNING.”

THE WHITE HOUSE ASKS AMAZON ABOUT COVID-19 

BOOKS THAT DON’T HAVE CDC WARNING LABELS ATTACHED.

IN ANOTHER EMAIL – AN AMAZON EMPLOYEE ASKS WHETHER THE WHITE HOUSE IS WANTING AMAZON TO REMOVE BOOKS OR FIX SEARCH RESULTS.

AND IN ANOTHER MESSAGE – AMAZON TAKES A MEETING WITH THE WHITE HOUSE OVER COVID CONTENT ON ITS WEBSITE BECAUSE THEY WERE QUOTE “FEELING PRESSURE” – 

AND WOULD DISCUSS  “STEPS AMAZON MIGHT WANT TO TAKE TO REDUCE VISIBILITY” OF ANTI-VAX BOOK TITLES.

THE AMAZON FILES —

FOLLOWS CLOSELY TO THAT OF THE FACEBOOK FILES RELEASED LAST YEAR.

AND ITS THE SAME WHITE HOUSE STAFFER – ANDY SLAVITT –

SENDING EMAILS TO AMAZON AND FACEBOOK ASKING HOW COVID MISINFORMATION IS BEING SCREENED ON THEIR PLATFORMS.

WHILE AMAZON HAS YET TO GIVE A MEDIA STATEMENT –

THE WHITE HOUSE TOLD FOX NEWS IT HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENCOURAGE COMPANIES TO DO THEIR PART IN PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF MISINFORMATION.

 “When confronted with a deadly pandemic, this Administration encouraged responsible actions to protect public health and safety.  But our position has been clear and consistent: Although we believe tech companies and other private actors should take account of the effects their actions are having on the American people, they make independent choices about the information they promote.”

IN CONCLUDING THE AMAZON FILES DUMP ON X –

JIM JORDAN WRAPPED BY SAYING “AMAZON CAVED TO THE PRESSURE FROM THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE TO CENSOR SPEECH. THE HOUSE JUDICIARY AND WEAPONIZATION COMMITTEES ARE INVESTIGATING. TO BE CONTINUED…”

LAST SUMMER –

A U.S. DISTRICT COURT AGREED WITH JORDAN’S SENTIMENT.

RULING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION “COERCED COMPANIES INCLUDING TWITTER AND FACEBOOK TO CENSOR CONTENT OVER CONCERNS IT WOULD LEAD TO VACCINE HESITANCY.”

NEXT MONTH – 

THE SUPREME COURT WILL WEIGH WHETHER COVID MISINFORMATION IS PROTECTED FREE SPEECH UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT.