Amazon removes one-star reviews from Hillary Clinton's new book

Charles Ventura | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Clinton wonders 'What Happened' in new book In a candid, angry new book, Hillary Clinton relives her stunning defeat to Donald Trump. She admits personal mistakes, but also lays blame on Former FBI Director James Comey. (Sept. 8)

Amazon was on the defensive end this week after receiving criticism for deleting negative reviews of Hillary Clinton's new book.

The online retail giant acknowledged its decision to remove one-star reviews of Clinton's memoir, What Happened, claiming they have the right to uphold reviews from legitimate customers.

“In the case of a memoir, the subject of the book is the author and their views,” an Amazon spokesperson told Fortune. “It’s not our role to decide what a customer would view as helpful or unhelpful in making their decision. We do however have mechanisms in place to ensure that the voices of many do not drown out the voices of a few and we remove customer reviews that violate our community guidelines.”

For the week of Sept. 3, What Happened is sixth on the most sold non-ficition list. As of Friday morning, Clinton's memoir had five out five stars from 609 reviews.

ReviewMeta, a website that analyzes the authenticity of Amazon reviews, said that 25% of reviewers of Clinton's book were "suspicious," a designation it gives to reviewers who have only reviewed one title.

Earlier this week, Clinton told USA TODAY's Susan Page that she is "convinced" there was collusion by Trump associates in the 2016 election. "There certainly was communication and there certainly was an understanding of some sort," she said.

What Happened, which recounts her loss to Trump, has drawn criticism and support from both the left and the right of the political aisle.

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Contributing: Ryan W. Miller