A research institute announces the results of an analysis of Amazon's 'banned books,' and prohibited categories include LGBTIQ, occult, erotic, and Japanese manga.
Amazon restricts the shipping of some products to certain regions. The most strict restrictions are on books, and it is known that certain genres of books cannot be purchased in countries such as the Middle East. The University of Toronto's security research institute 'Citizen Lab' has published the results of its analysis of the details of the 'banned books' set by Amazon.
Banned Books: Analysis of Censorship on Amazon.com - The Citizen Lab
According to Citizen Lab, an analysis of the 'system that restricts shipping of certain products to certain regions' implemented in Amazon's store revealed that there are 17,050 products that are restricted from shipping to at least one region. When trying to purchase a product in a restricted region, various error messages are displayed, such as a message that it is temporarily out of stock. Below is an example of an error message displayed on a product actually added to the cart. Three types of messages have been confirmed: 'Currently unavailable,' 'Temporarily out of stock,' and 'This item cannot be shipped to the selected shipping location.'
Citizen Lab's methodology involves analyzing the inner workings of Amazon's site to gauge which products and regions have restrictions in effect. The most common category of products that are subject to shipping restrictions ranges from WiFi routers to car seats, but the most common category is books.
Known areas where restrictions are in place include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and many other Middle Eastern countries, as well as Asia, including Brunei Darussalam, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Zambia. Below is a table showing the number of censored products by country. The UAE had the most, with 13,604 cases. However, it is important to note that the number of products available varies by country, so the more products there are, the more restricted products there may be.
Citizen Lab's analysis revealed that Amazon restricts 'LGBTIQ,' which includes books with the word 'gay' in the title and books that talk about the history of homosexual persecution in Germany; 'occult,' which includes magic, urban legends, astrology, and Christianity; 'erotic,' which includes pornographic novels and how-to books on sexual intercourse; and 'health-related,' such as sex education materials. In addition, 'manga,' which is often restricted in Japan, includes works related to the ' My Hero Academia ' and ' Dragon Quest ' series. Regarding the restriction of manga, Citizen Lab speculates that 'it may be restricted due to an expanded interpretation of the occult.'
Given that LGBTIQ is among the topics censored, Citizen Lab noted, 'Our findings call into question Amazon's commitment to LGBTIQ rights and respect for the rights of its users overall.'
In its ' Shipping Restrictions FAQ ,' Amazon explains why it places restrictions on product shipping: 'We must comply with all laws and regulations, and Amazon policies,' and 'Amazon may restrict shipping to your location due to government import/export requirements, manufacturer restrictions, or warranty issues.' In the past, it was reported that Amazon removed LGBTQ-related items from search results on its site under pressure from the UAE government.
Amazon bows to government pressure and removes LGBTQ-related products from search results - GIGAZINE
Similarly, as an example of Amazon setting 'bans' based on the content of books, it was reported in 2021 that Amazon 'chose not to sell books that depict LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness' in a letter to senators. According to Forbs, around February 2021, Amazon removed books written by conservative authors containing anti-transgender claims from its store without notifying the authors, so four Republican senators protested to Amazon, saying, 'This censorship is a signal that the opinions of conservative Americans are not welcome on Amazon's platform.'
Regarding Amazon's restrictions, Citizen Lab said, 'Amazon's approach to censorship, particularly with regard to LGBTIQ-related books, reflects a significant gap between the company's policy-based human rights commitment and its business practices. This issue is exacerbated by a lack of transparency and effective complaint mechanisms, leaving affected people with no clear understanding of Amazon's censorship policies or access to remedies or options.' Citizen Lab sent a letter of inquiry to Amazon, but had not received a response at the time of writing.
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