【Obsession Archives】

Amazon Prime's documentary genre features many Academy Award-winning feats of investigative journalism. But it has a problem: Amazon categorizes legitimate documentaries from HBO and Obsession ArchivesPBS in the same way that it does conspiracy theory films from the likes of Alex Jones.

The Telegraphfirst reported the troubling appearance of conspiracy theory "documentaries" on the streaming platform, in particular films from Jones and noted crazy-person David Icke. Jones is the talking head of InfoWars, who is currently being sued by families of Sandy Hook shooting victims for claiming that the deaths of their children was a hoax. Icke is a conspiracy theorist who calls himself a "conspiracy realist."

SEE ALSO: YouTube's algorithm is hurting America far more than Russian trolls ever could

Conspiracy theories aren't just kooky -- they can have dangerous real world consequences. In general, they erode faith in our institutions and the pure veracity of facts (something that is already declining). They also spread misinformation that can lead to violence, which Americans witnessed in 2016 after a bizarre claim about Hillary Clinton, a pizzeria, and child sex-trafficking led to a shooting. That was called "Pizzagate," a conspiracy theory that Alex Jones helped disseminate.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

For Amazon, the question of whether a platform should even make these films available is up for debate -- a debate that has also rocked platforms like YouTube and Facebook. But what seems most concerning is the categorization of conspiracy theory films as "documentaries," alongside legitimate works of nonfiction filmmaking, without any context about their creators or factuality.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

In particular, Amazon categorizes an Alex Jones film claiming that Obama's presidency is a high-level scheme to initiate worldwide slavery as a documentary. Icke's films, including 'The Reptilian Agenda,' which details the story of how lizard-people rule the planet, also receive the documentary tag.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Furthermore, once you watch one Icke or Jones documentary, Amazon is happy to serve you more content about the Illuminati or the enslavement of the US via FEMA camps (thanks to Alex Jones again for that one).

The problem here is that through the mere appearance on Amazon, and the further "documentary" tagging of this content, Amazon lends these conspiracy theory films legitimacy, without any context.

How did these films show up on Prime? Generally, large content distribution deals govern what appears on platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu. In its Prime FAQ, Amazon explains the Availability of Prime Titles: "The selection of movies and TV shows available with Prime Video is always changing--new titles are added to the Prime Video catalog, and occasionally titles are removed."

Mashable has reached out to Amazon to learn how these films in particular made it to Amazon, and whether there are any plans to remove or recategorize them. We will update this story if and when we hear back.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Watch Zuckerberg’s face freeze after a far-right politician credited Facebook for Trump's win and Brexit

---

Topics Amazon Prime Video Politics

• Science
• Tech
• Entertainment
• Digital Culture
• Games
• Deals
• Shopping
• Life

• Panic in Textopolis
• No, Kroger won't accept Bitcoin Cash. Fake cryptocurrency press release dupes people again.
• YouTube shooting became a Twitter monster because of trolling, not fake news
• Airbnb will now let hosts verify their WiFi speed before any stay
• Bankers’ Robberies
• Twitter makes it easier to search through a specific user's tweets
• Remember Apple's $19 cleaning cloth? Well, Samsung is giving away its own for free.
• 'Tyrannophone' iPhone case comes with an actual dinosaur tooth
• Vanity Foul
• Colin Kaepernick shares his truth on Netflix in a way you haven't heard before

• Here's why these mushrooms glow in the dark
• This creepy face hiding in a lamp post is freaking the internet out
• Emilia Clarke is more scared to talk 'Han Solo' than 'Game of Thrones'
• Microsoft cofounder pledges $30 million to help Seattle's homeless
• This toddler is cooking up a delicious storm on her YouTube show
• Anita Sarkeesian ends web series that rocked the world of gaming
• China is weighing dust on streets to determine if the cleaners did a good enough job
• YouTuber faces jail time for his movie parodies, as angry studios say his videos hurt sales
• Google Home update allows Assistant to access 5 million new recipes
• AAA worker helping person with keys gets locked out of his car and has to call AAA

• History Won’t Save You
• YouTube shooting became a Twitter monster because of trolling, not fake news
• Arnold Schwarzenegger comes back from heart surgery with a Tweet for the ages
• Apparently, if you send a ripped bill to the treasury, they'll send you a check
• Tragic Kingdom
• Instagram tests "take a break" reminders
• It's a 'bones day' for thousands skipping school to protest at COP26
• Muslim leaders fight 'Punish a Muslim' day with #LoveAMuslim
• A Serious Man
• Google Arts & Culture app's new feature finds art lookalikes for your pet

• Plunged Into Darkness
• Airbnb struggles to recover stolen domain name from sneaky thief
• Officials think they've cracked the LA 'jetpack man' mystery
• Woman refuses to snitch on her new buddy: Marvin the 7
• No Wokeness, No Worries
• 'King of the Hill' co
• Google Arts & Culture app's new feature finds art lookalikes for your pet
• Social media fills with footage from Astroworld tragedy. Some of it helps.
• Downward-Facing Capitalist Dogma
• Muslim leaders fight 'Punish a Muslim' day with #LoveAMuslim