GOP Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan posted to X on Friday, explaining House Judiciary Committee Republicans and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government obtained internal Amazon documents revealing the company essentially took orders from the Biden administration in March 2021.
Company emails show “criticism from the Biden administration” was “the impetus” for Amazon creating a new list of do-not-promote (DNP) books under the “anti-vax” label.
Since the email stated the matter “should be handled urgently,” Amazon quickly placed 43 books onto its DNP list.
One email even says the Biden administration’s National Security Agency could add books to the list after the initial 43.
Internal emails reveal that Amazon initially added 43 books to its newly created “Do Not Promote” class of allegedly anti-vaccine books.
These pro-censorship changes were being made “due to criticism from the Biden people.” pic.twitter.com/495klI0Djz
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 21, 2024
Included in the 43 titles were picture books for children, a top-selling book for parents, and a book reviewing scientific vaccine studies.
The Biden White House’s pressure led Amazon to censor CHILDREN’S BOOKS.
That’s right.
Picture books.
For children.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 21, 2024
The picture book featured on the DNP list was created to help unvaccinated children deal with discrimination during Covid, mainly in blue cities and states.
The author said the book was meant to promote “love, understanding and kindness to everyone,” teaching readers unvaccinated and vaccinated children can still be friends.
The children’s book said the vaccinated & unvaccinated can be friends.
Instead of censoring it, Amazon should have sent the book to Fauci, @GavinNewsom, and @JoeBiden. Remember when they said everyone had to comply with their made-up rules and vax mandates or lose their jobs? pic.twitter.com/32rkxBaqnm
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 21, 2024
“There is nothing the Biden Admin and the elites hate more than parents making their own decisions about their children’s education, health, and values,” wrote Congressman Jordan.
And if these efforts weren’t enough to effectively deamplify opposing viewpoints, Amazon also censored books reviewing scientific papers.
The book also had the audacity to address whether Big Pharma’s funding of research has the potential to create conflicts of interest. pic.twitter.com/U1UiJYwpLP
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 21, 2024
Jordan also noted, “These 43 books are only the tip of the iceberg,” explaining, “Amazon, YouTube, and Facebook each caved to the Biden White House’s censorship campaign.”
Don’t let the Biden Admin tell you that their censorship campaign was about concerns of misinformation going viral on social media. They were going after BOOKS too.
This is—and always has been—about suppressing disfavored views, not purported challenges of new technologies.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 21, 2024
Ultimately, Jordan described the scheme as the Biden admin pressuring private companies “to censor constitutionally protected speech,” and vowed the two House committees behind the document dump “will continue this critical investigative work to further inform legislative solutions to dismantle the Biden Administration’s censorship regime.”
.@JudiciaryGOP and @Weaponization will continue this critical investigative work to further inform legislative solutions to dismantle the Biden Administration’s censorship regime.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 21, 2024
Time will tell if America’s elected officials actually hold the corrupt individuals who engaged in this unconstitutional activity responsible.