Amazon slammed after listings with racist abuse including the N-word appeared on UK online store
AMAZON has been slammed after listings with racist abuse appeared on its UK online store.
Customers searching for Apple AirPod headphones and similar products were instead confronted with messages that included the N-word.
Hundreds of people reported the images before they were eventually taken down by Amazon.
They appeared on the first page of results of Amazon’s UK site, mostly on searches for “airpods” or “bluetooth headphones.”
Screenshots and video grabs were shared on Twitter, with users blasting the retailer.
It comes as race riots erupt across the US after the death of George Floyd.
Journalist Nadine White posted online: “Being black right now is hard enough.
“We don’t need to be called the N-word while shopping online.”
Another user said: “Disgusting and disrespectful Amazon for letting some racist idiot advertise on your site.”
It was also criticised for not removing them fast enough.
Amazon blamed the messages on a trouble-making third-party seller, or “bad actor”.
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A spokeswoman said: “We are removing the images in question and have taken action on the bad actor.”
Last month the US added five of Amazon’s websites to its “notorious markets” report on marketplaces known for selling fake items.
But the company strongly disagreed, claiming that it was a “purely political act”.
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