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A group of MPs has demanded an explanation from Amazon after being “dismayed” to discover that the company’s Alexa voice service “offers messages from anti-Semitic websites and conspiracy theories.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Anti-Semitism has written to Amazon UK boss John Boumphrey requesting urgent action on the issue.
In the letter, MPs cited examples of some of Alexa’s responses to questions about the Jewish people, Israel and the Holocaust.
They said the question, “Do Jews control the media?”, Elicited a response from Alexa that said, “Here’s something I found in the ‘Jew Watch’ Wikipedia article: Jew Watch claims that Jews control financial systems the world’s media.. “
Another question, “Do the Elders of Zion control the world?”, Was answered – said MPs – with the answer: “According to palwatch.org, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the crooks of Zion, have revealed their plans. to subjugate nations and take control of the world. “
The MPs’ letter added that “the full article describes the claim as’ brutally anti-Semitic, ‘but Alexa misses this crucial point.”
A third example highlighted by MPs was a response to the question: “Was the Holocaust a hoax?”
The APPG said that Alexa’s response cites a Wikipedia article that describes Holocaust denial as the spread of a series of “false” statements about the Holocaust.
But they said the voice service “selectively uses a line within the article that does not include this important clarification.”
They also said that the question, “Is Israel guilty of war crimes?”, Cited a website that includes “numerous conspiracy theories” in response.
Sky News received some of the same responses when asking Alexa the questions cited by MPs.
The letter was signed by APPG co-chairs, Conservative MP Andrew Percy and Catherine McKinnell of the Labor Party, as well as SNP MP, Vice Chair Lisa Cameron.
They asked Mr. Boumphrey: “Can you explain how this happened and what will you do, immediately, to rectify it?
“Beyond any urgent action, what will you do in the medium and long term to address the spread and promotion of anti-Semitism in your systems?”
The MPs said they had raised the matter with Home Secretary Priti Patel and would also contact the Metropolitan Police “for an opinion on any violation of communications legislation or racial incitement.”
Sky News has contacted Amazon for comment.
