When Reviews Become Weapons: Amazon’s Silence in the Face of Author Harassment
When Reviews Become Weapons: Amazon’s Silence in the Face of Author Harassment
By Rebecca Kay Bright — Investigative Journalist, Author
For over a decade, I’ve published my books independently on Amazon, contributing to a platform that proudly touts itself as a home for indie authors. I write, I research, I revise, I market. Like many others, I’ve done all of this without the financial backing of a major publishing house—just the belief that stories, especially ones grounded in lived truth, matter.
But in recent years, that belief has been tested not by the grind of authorship, but by the very platform meant to support it.
A Personal Attack, Platform-Enabled
After expressing a critical opinion on a public figure's social media post, I found myself the target of coordinated online retaliation. Within days, my Amazon book pages were flooded with negative reviews—not of the content, but of me. These weren’t bad reviews from disappointed readers; they were harassment in the form of one-star ratings, intended to tank visibility, sabotage sales, and attempted humiliation.
Some reviewers admitted outright that they hadn’t read the books. One accused me of “saying the wrong thing” online. I received threatening physical mail. I was doxxed. And all the while, Amazon—a company with immense resources and strict community guidelines—has done nothing.
Reporting Mechanisms That Don’t Work
I followed every official process:
I reported the abusive reviews through the platform. I contacted Amazon’s community help email with detailed documentation.
I cited the direct connections between my public online activity and the timing of the review bomb.
I even outlined the harassment I received offline.
And what did I get? Silence.
What This Means for All of Us
This isn’t just my story. Amazon’s refusal to act reflects a growing danger for any independent creator: the weaponization of platform tools by bad actors, and the platforms' unwillingness to enforce their own rules.
For indie authors—especially women, LGBTQ+ people, BIPOC authors, and journalists—this sets a dangerous precedent. If speaking your mind means risking your livelihood, the chilling effect is real. Reviews should reflect books, not vendettas. Retailers should protect sellers, not just profits.
A Call for Transparency and Action
I’m calling on Amazon to:
1. Re-examine review flagging systems to catch retaliatory or coordinated review abuse.
2. Offer support for authors facing harassment, including appeal mechanisms and human contact—not just auto-responses.
3. Acknowledge their role as a publisher-adjacent platform, not just a neutral marketplace.
4. And to fellow writers, journalists, and readers: I see you. I stand with you. We cannot allow the platforms we rely on to become complicit in our silencing.