Amazon, Google and Wish have removed neo-Nazi and white-supremacist products being sold on their online stores after they were discovered by BBC Click.
BBC found several neo-Nazi and white-supremacist products available for sale on Amazon, Google and Wish, including white-supremacist flags, neo-Nazi books and Ku Klux Klan merchandise. The companies said they have removed those from their platforms.
Neo-Nazi items for sale online
Aside from discovering the products on sale at those sites, BBC also found that algorithms on Amazon and Wish also recommended other white-supremacist items.
Amazon, Google and Wish all insisted that racist products were prohibited on their platforms.
Oren Segal from anti-hate organization Anti-Defamation League (ADL) argued that the companies should "constantly be on top of what the algorithm is recommending". He said algorithms had to be "taught to be responsible".
On Amazon, one of the items discovered was a white-supremacist flag featuring a Celtic Cross. According to the ADL, the image featured on the flag was "one of the most common white-supremacist symbols"
One buyer wrote a "review" of the product in June, saying: "This is a neo-Nazi flag. Amazon should not be profiting from this."
Meanwhile, another customer said the flag would be "good for use in parades" and commended Amazon for "making it happen".
The e-commerce giant's algorithms recommended another controversial flag that buyers had "frequently bought together".
It bears the symbol also worn by the Christchurch gunman when he killed 51 people in New Zealand on March 15, 2019. The killings were broadcast live on Facebook.
Other items featuring a burning rainbow flag, similar to the one used by the LGBTQ community, were also found on Amazon. All these products have been removed from the platform by the firm.
Wish and Google items
BBC found Ku Klux Klan-themed products on online retail store Wish but the company immediately took them down after being notified about them.
On the page for a Ku Klux Klan-themed cartoon, Wish's algorithms recommended "related items" including a hood and a Celtic Cross.
Boogaloo movement-related merchandise were also available on Amazon, Google and Wish. The Boongaloo group refers to a far-right libertarian militia in the US.
Several people identifying with the group have been charged with terrorism offences, and the murder of state officials in the US.
All Boogaloo-related products have been removed from their platforms according to the firms.
Additionally, Google has taken down racist content from its Google Books and Google Play stores.
The think tank Demos pointed out that buyers may be pushed towards hateful content due to online algorithms. Josh Smith of Demos said: "It often takes human investigation to work out that people are being led down this path."
Company statements regarding the issue
Amazon stated: "The products in question are no longer available and we've taken action on the bad actors that offered the products and violated our policies."
"We don't allow ads or products that are sold on our platforms that display shocking content or promote hatred. We enforce these policies vigorously and take action when we determine they are breached," Google assured.
Wish claimed: "We are working hard to remove these items and taking additional steps to prevent such items appearing again."
