“There were 19 comments including 17 at 1/5 and 2 at 5/5: only 2 to 5/5 remain”, thundered this Saturday a surfer known for his opposition to the government. The online sales platform Amazon is accused on social networks of having deleted many negative comments on the page of the book of the former Minister of Health Olivier Véran, “Beyond the waves” (Robert Laffont editions), released on September 7. The same Internet user denounces “a thug’s method”.
These comments, which no longer appear on the Amazon page of the book, were systematic criticism of Olivier Véran. Many of them didn’t even have much to do with the book itself. “The merchant of fear has made his business by destroying the hospital and continues to make noise thinking he is in the light”, for example, wrote a user.
Contacted by Le Parisien, Amazon defends itself from any censorship and replies that these comments were deleted because they contravened its charter. This prohibits, in particular, “attacks against people with whom you do not agree” as well as “libelous, denunciatory or inciting hatred content”.
“Guaranteeing the best shopping experience possible”
“We have strict review policies and proactively remove reviews that violate these rules, in an effort to ensure the best shopping experience possible,” a spokesperson for the group said. More than 12,000 people worldwide are tasked with fighting abuse, including fake reviews.
This Monday at the end of the day, four comments with a single star, dated September 8, 9 and 12, were again visible (out of a total of eight evaluations). “I learned nothing new, Mr. Minister and his romanticized and exaggerated moods in the hope of being more humanistic. Too bad he didn’t use this energy for his country (sic)”, writes one of these disappointed readers.
Since this weekend, it is impossible for any Internet user to leave a new comment on the book of the current government spokesperson, “following unusual activities”. Only “Verified Purchase on Amazon” comments, that is to say written by a person who has actually purchased the book on the online sales platform, are authorized.