Shopify Removes Kanye's Antisemitic Shop, But Others Remain

Shopify Removes Kanye West's Online Store

Shopify removed Kanye West’s online store following the sale of T-shirts displaying the swastika symbol. This action came after the musician promoted the store during a Super Bowl advertisement.

Swastika T-shirts and Initial Promotion

Known also as Ye, West directed viewers to his website via a Super Bowl commercial on Sunday. The sole item available for purchase was a T-shirt featuring the swastika.

Policy Changes and Store Removal

Despite Shopify having removed a previous policy prohibiting “hateful content” last year, the store was taken down on Tuesday. This occurred several days after the Super Bowl advertisement aired.

Initial reports suggest the storefront was closed due to concerns regarding potential fraudulent activity, rather than the explicit sale of Nazi-themed merchandise. This information stems from an internal memo reviewed by The Logic, a Canadian tech publication.

Shopify's Official Statement

“All merchants are responsible for adhering to the guidelines of our platform,” Shopify stated to TechCrunch. “This particular merchant did not conduct business in a genuine manner and breached our terms of service, leading to their removal.”

Antisemitic Posts on X

In the week leading up to the store’s removal, Ye posted numerous antisemitic statements on X. He openly identified as a Nazi and expressed distrust towards Jewish individuals.

He also offered praise for Adolf Hitler, and subsequently acknowledged Elon Musk for providing a platform for his expressions before his account was deleted.

X's Response and Precedent

TechCrunch inquired with X regarding whether Ye deleted his account or if the platform removed it. However, X did not provide a comment.

X has previously established a precedent allowing Holocaust denial, praise of Hitler, and support for Nazi ideology on its platform.

Contradictory Standards on Shopify

TechCrunch discovered an X creator with a substantial following of 200,000 who utilizes Shopify to sell products that glorify the Auschwitz death camps and promote Holocaust denialism.

While Shopify removed Ye’s store due to the swastika merchandise, this other antisemitic shop continues to operate on the platform. Shopify did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for clarification regarding this discrepancy.

Additional reporting from Maxwell Zeff.