Technology giant Amazon has offered to help President Joe Biden with distributing the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine. In a letter to the president, an Amazon executive said the e-commerce giant "stands ready to assist" the Biden administration. The letter came amid the president's announcement that 100 million Americans will be vaccinated against COVID-19 during his first 100 days in office.
Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO Dave Clark wrote in his Jan. 20 letter that the company is prepared to leverage its "operations, information technology and communication capabilities and expertise." He added: "Our scale allows you to make a meaningful impact immediately in the fight against COVID-19, and we stand ready to assist you in this effort."
Clark also called for the early vaccination of Amazon's more than 800,000 U.S. employees, as most of them are essential employees who cannot work from home. These essential workers assigned at Amazon fulfillment centers, Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers and Whole Foods Market stores should receive the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine at the soonest possible time, he said.
The Amazon executive mentioned that the company is "proud of the role our employees have played" to ensure customers continue to get important products and services while at home. He continued that the employees' efforts were fundamental for people "with underlying medical conditions" and people "susceptible to complication from COVID-19."
As such, Clark reiterated that Amazon will assist its employees in providing key services to customers. The company has struck an agreement with a licensed third-party workplace health care provider to vaccinate employees at Amazon locations. He added that the firm was "prepared to move quickly once vaccines are available."
"Since the beginning of the crisis, we have worked hard to keep our workers safe. We are committed to assisting your administration's vaccination efforts as we work together to protect our employees and continue to provide essential services during the pandemic," Clark concluded his letter to Biden.
Amazon's actions show where its loyalties lie
The technology firm's expression of support to Biden clearly shows where its loyalties lie. Amazon used its wide online reach to actively suppress former President Donald Trump and his supporters while turning a blind eye to contents encouraging violence against Biden's predecessor.
AWS terminated its contract with alternative social media platform Parler on Jan. 11 following the Washington, D.C. riots, which left five dead. Parler was the platform of choice for Trump supporters long exasperated with Big Tech censorship. AWS cited Parler's refusal to remove "content that encourages or incites violence against others" on its website, adding that it saw 98 posts inciting violence on the platform. (Related: Trump supporters cancel Amazon Prime subscriptions after Amazon kicks Parler off its web hosting service and expresses support for Black Lives Matter.)
Parler then sued the technology giant, alleging that AWS breached its contract by skipping a 30-day notice period before terminating its hosting contract. Parler also accused the company founded by Jeff Bezos of engaging in antitrust violations and interfering with its business relationship with its users.
A federal magistrate ruled Jan. 21 that AWS doesn't need to immediately restore Parler back online, the Associated Press reported. U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein ruled that Parler "had fallen short" in proving why an injunction ordering it back online should be issued. The magistrate added that she rejected "any suggestion that the public interest favors requiring AWS to host the incendiary speech that … some of Parler's users have engaged in."
Meanwhile, conservative watchdog Media Research Center (MRC) found more than 200 items on Amazon's marketplace that promoted violence against Trump and Republican Party members. The MRC's findings included shirts with slogans advocating the killing of Republicans and flags with gory depictions of the former president. It also found products that encourage violence against members of law enforcement.
Amazon's Terms of Service state that merchandise promoting "hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance … or organizations with such views" are banned from the platform. However, the technology company seems to have ignored these guidelines when it came to the products that the MRC found. (Related: Amazon censors anti-Kamala items; Allows "f*** Trump" apparel.)
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