Shopify REMOVES Trump's online store selling MAGA hats - that sold $4M in merchandise in March and April alone - because he 'violated policy against promoting violence'
Shopify has removed online stores affiliated with President Donald Trump from its e-commerce platform after hundreds of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
The Canadian company said on Thursday the recent events determined that Trump's actions violated its policy, which prohibits promotion or support of organizations, platforms or people that threaten or condone violence to further a cause.
Trump, who has refused to concede his loss to Democrat President-elect Joe Biden, urged his supporters to come to Washington for a 'wild' rally on Wednesday and whipped the crowd into a frenzy while exhorting them to march on Congress.
Attempts to access TrumpStore.com and shop.donaldjtrump.com, which sold 'Make America Great Again' hats and similar items, were unsuccessful on Thursday, as the websites displayed error messages.
Shopify has removed online stores affiliated with President Donald Trump from its e-commerce platform after hundreds of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol
The Canadian company said on Thursday the recent events determined that Trump's actions violated its policy, after the president's mob attacked the Capitol
Although full-year figures are not available, the Trump campaign said it sold $4 million in merchandise in March and April alone.
Shopify's move comes as social media platforms Twitter, Facebook and Snap temporarily locked the Trump's accounts on Wednesday.
Facebooksaid it would block Trump's accounts for at least the next two weeks until the presidential transition is completed and perhaps indefinitely, the most significant sanction of the president by any major social media company.
The decision by Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg comes after Facebook announced on Wednesday it would lock for 24 hours Trump's page, which has 35 million followers.
Tech giants have been scrambling to crack down on the president's baseless claims about the U.S. presidential election after hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in unrest that resulted in four deaths.
Trump's campaign store sold MAGA hats and similar items before it was taken offline
Shopify's move comes as social media platforms Twitter, Facebook and Snap temporarily locked the Trump's accounts on Wednesday
'We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,' Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
He said the block would also apply to Facebook-owned Instagram.
Zuckerberg called the unrest 'an insurrection' in an internal all-hands staff meeting on Thursday, according to audio of the call heard by Reuters.
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the meeting.
Twitter and Snap Inc also temporarily locked Trump's accounts on Wednesday. Twitter said its freeze of @realDonaldTrump, which has more than 88 million followers, would last until 12 hours after Trump removes three tweets.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.