Published 06:32 IST, June 5th 2020
Elon Musk rallies to 'break up Amazon' after lockdown critic claims his book was censored
Musk’s tweets came in response to writer Alex Berenson tweeting a screenshot showing that his book on COVID-19 pandemic had failed to meet Amazon guidelines
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Tesla chief Elon Musk on Thursday, June 4 tweeted that it was time to 'break up' Amazon whiling adding that monopolies were a bad thing for markets. Musk’s tweets came in response to writer Alex Berenson tweeting a screenshot showing that his upcoming book on COVID-19 pandemic had failed to meet Amazon guidelines for sale and therefore, rejected for listing on the online store.
Musk: Amazon's actions are 'Insane'
As per reports, Alex Berenson has been a vocal critic of the coronavirus lockdown and has claimed that the risks and dangers posed by the infection are much lower than what is perceived by people. Elon Musk too has been an open critic of the US government's lockdown policy and has repeatedly tweeted in favour of re-opening the country and industrial activity, while calling the stay-at-home-orders 'fascist'.
Take a look at the tweet thread here:
THEY CENSORED IT! It is based entirely on published government data and scientific papers. It doesn’t say coronavirus isn’t real or doesn’t kill people (in fact, the worst-case death toll is likely to be striking to people). And Amazon won’t run it.
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) June 4, 2020
This is insane @JeffBezos
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2020
Time to break up Amazon. Monopolies are wrong!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2020
Amazon being sued
On the other hand, Amazon is being reportedly sued for allegedly fostering the spread of coronavirus by mandating unsafe working conditions, causing at least one employee to contract COVID-19, which later led to the death of her cousin. According to an international media outlet, the complaint was filed on June 3 in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, by three employees of the JFK8 fulfilment centre in Staten Island.
As per reports, the lawsuit states that Amazon has made the JFK8 fulfilment centre, which employs approximately 5,000 people, a ‘place of danger’ by impeding efforts to stop coronavirus spreading and boosting productivity at the expense of safety. While speaking to the media outlet, the Amazon employee said that she tested positive for coronavirus in March and later saw several household members become sick, including her cousin who died.
06:32 IST, June 5th 2020