Indiana attorney general puts Amazon on notice for censorship
(The Center Square) – Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita put Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on notice Thursday, claiming the online retail giant abused its market power by recently pulling a book focused on transgender identity.
In a letter to Bezos, Rokita cited news reports that Amazon pulled Ryan T. Anderson’s book, “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Movement.” The attorney general called the move troubling.
“Amazon’s actions with respect to Mr. Anderson’s book are deeply troubling. The effects of the world’s largest bookstore, as well as its streaming service, canceling books it does not like will undermine future projects and limit books that will be published or made in the future,” Rokita wrote. “Censorship by one of the world’s largest corporations is the stuff of would-be despots and tyrannical regimes and is wholly inconsistent with the foundation of our Republic.”
Anderson released the book, which addresses topics such as gender dysphoria, sex reassignment surgeries and anti-discrimination law, in 2018. Amazon stopped selling it last month.
A group of Republican U.S. senators also wrote Bezos in February and said in removing the book, Amazon used its large market share to participate in political censorship.
Amazon Vice President of Public Policy Brian Huseman said in a letter of response the company decided not to sell books that portrayed LGBTZ+ as a mental illness, and Amazon notified Anderson’s distributor of the decision.
Rokita also warned Bezos he would be watching closely how Amazon decisions affect the people of Indiana.
“I will be watching closely and with interest how Amazon continues down this path of censorship and the impact it has on Hoosier consumers,” Rokita said in the letter. “My office will not hesitate to take action if and when Amazon’s practices harm consumers and violate Indiana law.”
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