Shopify removes Kanye's website for merchandise featuring swastikas.
Shopify lifted a ban related to "hate speech" last year.
Shopify has made the decision to close the Yeezy store, managed by Ye, following the sale of t-shirts featuring swastikas. This action was initially reported by several major news outlets. The store, which previously offered products such as sneakers and t-shirts, only had one item for sale: a t-shirt with a swastika design, named "HH-01." This name is considered by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to be a code associated with the phrase "Heil Hitler."
The controversy surrounding Ye escalated when he began sharing antisemitic content on the X platform, where he had previously been suspended for posting swastikas. However, in the days leading up to the announcement during the Super Bowl, his account was deactivated.
Shopify did not justify the closure solely based on the sale of the t-shirt. In a statement, a spokesperson for the platform explained that all merchants must adhere to established rules and that this store was not engaging in legitimate business practices, which led to its removal from the platform. It is worth mentioning that last year, Shopify removed a clause from its acceptable use policy that prohibited hateful content.