Shopify has removed a website promoted by rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after it was found to be selling t-shirts featuring a swastika. The site, Yeezy.com, was advertised during the Super Bowl on Sunday and remained active until Tuesday morning when Shopify took it down for violating its terms of service.
The controversial advertisement directed viewers to Yeezy.com, where a $20 t-shirt with a black swastika was prominently displayed. The storefront has since been replaced with an error message stating, “This store is unavailable.”
Shopify President Harley Finkelstein explained the decision during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street. He stated that the website’s owners were given “an entire day” to demonstrate compliance with Shopify’s policies but failed to do so. “The moment we realized this was not actually a real commerce practice, they weren’t actually engaging in authentic commerce, we pulled it down,” Finkelstein said.
Finkelstein, who is Jewish, expressed his dismay over the incident. “I’m a proud Jewish entrepreneur. I’m a proud Jewish community member… So obviously I’m devastated by that,” he told CNBC’s Sara Eisen.
Ye’s Controversial History
The incident is the latest in a series of controversies involving Ye. In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, he shared posts on X (formerly Twitter) praising Adolf Hitler and identifying himself as a Nazi. His X account was deactivated on Monday, with his profile now reading, “This account doesn’t exist.”
The Super Bowl ad itself featured Ye reclining in a dentist’s chair, where he joked about spending “all the money for the commercial on these new teeth” before directing viewers to Yeezy.com. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned the ad, stating on X that “there’s no excuse for this kind of behavior.”
Ye has faced backlash for antisemitic remarks in the past, losing partnerships with major brands like Gap and Adidas in 2022. That same year, he was suspended from X after posting an image of a swastika merged with the Star of David. Following assurances that he would not use the platform to share antisemitic content, X reinstated his account, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Broader Implications
The controversy also highlights ongoing concerns about X and its owner, Elon Musk. Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has faced criticism for amplifying antisemitic posts and engaging in controversial behavior. In December, he endorsed the far-right Alternative for Germany party, and last month, he drew backlash for using a gesture at a rally that many interpreted as a Nazi salute.
Shopify’s swift action to remove Ye’s site underscores the challenges platforms face in balancing free expression with the need to enforce policies against hate speech and harmful content. As the fallout continues, the incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions surrounding accountability in the digital age.
