[Brief] Boogaloo Merchandise Continue to Appear on Google Shopping
Update on July 29: Google has taken down most of the listings and merchants cited in this brief.
On July 25, 2020, BBC News reported that Google, Amazon, and Wish had removed racist and Boogaloo products that were sold on their platforms — after being contacted by the BBC.
However, many Boogaloo-themed shirts, shoes, and other merchandise remain available on Google Shopping.
Indeed, some Boogaloo-related listings I found on Google Shopping last week have been removed. For instance, this screenshot I took on July 22 shows three since-deleted product listings that contained the word “boogaloo” in its title. The items, which include a shirt depicting Fred Flintsone with a firearm, were sold by three merchants: jusquickclick, msvinstore, and Cetodo.
However, the Fred Flintsone Boogaloo shirt continues to appear in Google Shopping search results. It is currently being sold by the merchant menuish.
Google also took action against these sponsored Boogaloo product listings. The following screenshot — taken on July 22 — shows six Boogaloo shirts in Google Shopping’s Sponsored section.
According to Google, the company is “compensated” by merchants that appear in the Sponsored section.
After removing some Boogaloo products from their website, Google said in a statement to the BBC that they “don’t allow ads or products that are sold on our platforms that display shocking content or promote hatred.”
“We enforce these policies vigorously,” the company claimed, “and take action when we determine they are breached.”
Nevertheless, as I write this, many Boogaloo products remain accessible — and sponsored — on Google Shopping.
