Amazon plays a dominant role in global book distribution, but it also exercises significant control over what can be sold or discovered on its platform. Books can be removed, restricted, or made harder to find based on internal policies that are not always transparent. These actions are not the same as government bans — but they do shape access in practice.
A complex ethical decision
This is not a black-and-white issue.
We recognize that platforms have a responsibility to limit clearly harmful content — such as explicit hate speech, incitement to violence, or material that directly endangers individuals or groups. Some level of moderation is necessary in any large-scale distribution system.
At the same time, there are documented cases where books have been removed or restricted by Amazon that fall into more contested territory — covering political views, gender identity debates, or broader social issues. These are not always universally classified as harmful, and their removal raises legitimate questions about where the line is drawn — and by whom.
Documented cases that inform our decision
Remote deletion of purchased books (2009)
Amazon removed digital copies of Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farmfrom users' Kindle devices due to licensing issues.
The New York Times
Policy-based removal of a book on gender identity (2021)
Amazon removed When Harry Became Sally by Ryan T. Anderson following a policy update.
The Wall Street Journal · BBC News
Misclassification affecting LGBTQ+ books (2019)
Some LGBTQ+-related titles were incorrectly categorised as “adult content,” reducing their visibility.
The Guardian
Ongoing removals under evolving content policies
Books have been taken down or restricted under guidelines related to hate speech or “offensive content,” often without detailed public explanation.
Reuters · BBC News
Why this matters for our project
We are not claiming that Amazon systematically “bans” books in the way governments do. The scale and context are fundamentally different.
But for a project focused on banned and challenged books, three things are difficult to ignore:
- centralised control over availability
- limited transparency in decision-making
- real impact on what readers can access or even find
Our choice
Our goal is simple: make access to books as open and transparent as possible.
Choosing not to link to Amazon is part of that. It's a deliberate decision — aware of the trade-offs, and grounded in the belief that access to knowledge should not depend on opaque systems of control.
Instead, we link to alternative bookstores and platforms that better align with that principle.