During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon censored numerous anti-vaccine books after pressure from the Biden administration, as revealed by documents obtained by the House Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
These documents show that Amazon succumbed to federal pressure and limited the visibility of books critical of vaccines and the pharmaceutical industry.
Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan highlighted internal Amazon emails where employees admitted that the censorship was driven by “criticism from the Biden Administration about sensitive books we're giving prominent placement to.” In response, Amazon created a “Do Not Promote” category, quickly adding over 40 titles to the list.
Among the censored books was “The Autism Vaccine: The Story of Modern Medicine's Greatest Tragedy” by Forrest Maready.
The list also included books that reviewed scientific papers, and a children's book promoting non-discrimination based on vaccination status. Jordan quipped that Amazon should have sent this children's book to figures like Anthony Fauci, Gavin Newsom, and Joe Biden instead of censoring it.
The censorship extended to a book by physician Robert Sears, which Jordan attributed to a broader disdain by the Biden administration and elites for parents making independent decisions about their children's education, health, and values.
Jordan argued that the Biden administration's censorship campaign was not solely about preventing the spread of misinformation on social media but was also aimed at suppressing dissenting views through book censorship. He called the government's actions “unconstitutional,” emphasizing the importance of free speech.
“Whether you agree with this speech or not, free speech is free speech, and the Biden Admin pressured private companies to censor constitutionally protected speech,” he stated.
