Redbubble removed several items featuring images from the Auschwitz concentration camp Tuesday after criticism from the Auschwitz Museum.
“Do you really think that selling such products as pillows, mini skirts or tote bags with the images of Auschwitz – a place of enormous human tragedy where over 1,1 million people were murdered – is acceptable? This is rather disturbing and disrespectful,” representatives from the museum tweeted. (RELATED: Way Too Many AMericans Don’t Know What Auschwitz Was)
.@redbubble Do you really think that selling such products as pillows, mini skirts or tote bags with the images of Auschwitz – a place of enormous human tragedy where over 1,1 million people were murdered – is acceptable? This is rather disturbing and disrespectful. pic.twitter.com/cdPvZGMXC6
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) May 7, 2019
Redbubble responded quickly, saying that “the nature of this content is not acceptable and is not in line with our Community Guidelines” and promised to take immediate action.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The nature of this content is not acceptable and is not in line with our Community Guidelines (https://t.co/i9QomriweX). We are taking immediate action to remove these and similar works available on these product types. (1/2)
— Redbubble Help (@RedbubbleHelp) May 7, 2019
Redbubble explained further by noting that, as a website dedicated to helping independent artists market their own products, the site itself was not responsible for posting the items, but was working to take them down.
Redbubble is the host of an online marketplace where independent users take responsibility for the images they upload. We have onsite reporting functions in place and are grateful to be made aware of these concerns. (2/2)
— Redbubble Help (@RedbubbleHelp) May 7, 2019
Redbubble’s actions appear to have been swift. The Auschwitz Museum noted within hours that some of the content had already been removed from the site.
We have noticed @RedbubbleHelp reaction. Some items with images of Auschwitz are being removed from the @redbubble site. https://t.co/WLOOpe4QS8
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) May 7, 2019