Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon and then CEO of Amazon Web Services, speaks at the WSJD Live conference in Laguna Beach, California, on October 25, 2016.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sent a letter to Amazon on Wednesday asking it to do more to stop the spread of Covid misinformation through questionable products on the market.
In a letter to CEO Andy Jassy, Warren called for more clarity on the operation of Amazon’s search algorithms and the “Best Seller” badge, saying the company’s recommendation engines can drive consumers to books and other products containing falsehoods about Covid-19.
Warren claims that searches for “Covid-19,” “Covid,” “vaccine,” “Covid-19 vaccine,” and “pandemic” have created products that promote false information about vaccines and coronavirus care, many of which which appeared at the top of the search results.
For example, a book by Ronnie Cummins and Dr. Joseph Mercola, the latter of whom is considered an influential disseminator of misinformation about vaccines and coronaviruses online, called “The Truth About Covid-19” was the most searched result. important for “Covid-19”. and “vaccine,” according to the letter. It was also labeled a best-seller in Amazon’s “Political Freedom” book category.
Searches for “COVID 19 vaccine” produced other publications that promoted Covid’s discredited care or vaccine misinformation, including that Covid-19 vaccines are “making people sick and killing them,” the letter says. CNBC was able to replicate several examples mentioned in Warren’s letter.
Amazon representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Warren acknowledged that Amazon has taken steps to direct users to accurate information about Covid-19, such as prominently displaying a banner at the top of search results with links to the Food and Drug Administration website.
“But the results of my staff review are nonetheless deeply troubling,” the letter states. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Amazon feeds misinformation loops through its search and “Best Seller” algorithms, which can lead countless Americans to risk their health and the health of their neighbors relying on misleading and inaccurate information they discover Amazon’s Website. “
Warren included several questions for Jassy seeking more information about Amazon’s policies, with a deadline to answer on September 22nd.
The letter is the latest example of lawmakers’ growing calls for Big Tech to remove its services from coronavirus misinformation. Alphabet’s Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have faced pressure to better detect and eliminate misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines.
Last week, Amazon took steps to limit the spread of antiparasitic ivermectin as a false Covid cure. Amazon said it would block some search autocomplete suggestions that would lead buyers to ivermectin. The company also removed some ivermectin reviews that falsely promoted it as a treatment for Covid-19, The Washington Post reported.
Amazon has previously removed products that claimed to be a treatment, cure, or remedy for coronavirus. Making a call to limit ivermectin products presents a more thorny challenge for Amazon, as the drug can be consumed in small doses by humans to treat parasites and is usually administered to large animals. According to the Post, none of the third-party vendors offering forms of the drug intended for horses say it is intended for use in humans.
Researchers and advocacy groups have called on Amazon to do more to curb books that promote misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Amazon’s content guidelines for books state that it reserves the right not to sell “material we deem inappropriate or offensive.” The guidelines do not mention medical misinformation, but Amazon has removed books that promote autism cure and vaccine misinformation, along with literature that frames LGBTQ identities as mental illness.