iWorld
Twitter trends #BoycottAmazon for selling Om printed doormats
NEW DELHI: Outrage seems to be the flavour of the season. Days after jewellery brand Tanishq was roundly criticised for a Diwali-themed ad campaign that promoted cracker-free celebrations, it’s now e-commerce giant Amazon’s turn to face online brickbats. Twitterverse was abuzz today with calls of #BoycottAmazon after pictures of the e-tailer selling doormats with Om printed on it started doing the rounds.
A section of social media slammed Amazon for disrespecting Hindu culture by demeaning the auspicious Om symbol in this manner. Others posted screenshots of themselves deleting the e-commerce app from their smartphones. The trend led to people sharing further incriminating content on the retail platform: of various products and apparel like shorts and underwear emblazoned with images of Hindu gods and goddesses.
I #BoycottAmazon for defaming hinduism pic.twitter.com/S7Pur7a0yz
— TRINATH MISHRA (@TRINATHMISHRA16) November 10, 2020
Amazon has hurt the sentiments of India and Hindus.For this, all Indians should boycott Amazon. @amazonIN @amazon #BoycottAmazon pic.twitter.com/RyaylBnflt
— preeti gurjar (@preeti7401) November 10, 2020
#BoycottAmazon Fipkart is a better counter-part pic.twitter.com/SKxGKEM2Lu
— अरे भाई भाई भाई (@MaaKaBhosdaaa) November 10, 2020
Yet others pointed out the double standards of those calling out Amazon for purportedly offending Hindu sentiments, alleging they’re the same people who burst crackers bearing images of goddess Laxmi (or Laxmi bomb) and leave the streets littered with firecracker remains after Diwali.
#BoycottAmazon This is really Famous banne ki Ninja Technique, bcos They are the same People who burst Firecrackers with Laxmi Mata photo on ( #LaxmiBomb ) it and let the trash Left on the Road after they get orgasm by burning cracker ( Joke ) so where is Hinduism there ? pic.twitter.com/aioQRVlYsT
— SUMEET KUMAR (@sumeetkumar2524) November 10, 2020
For the record, it should be noted that these products are not available in India, but sold on the European and American portals of the site.
This isn't the first time Amazon has landed itself in hot water by getting on the wrong side of Indian customers. Earlier in January, pictures had surfaced of the e-commerce giant selling bathroom rugs and doormats with photos of Lord Ganesha. In 2019, toilet seat covers and mats with Hindu gods were spotted on the platform.
In 2017, then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had demanded an unconditional apology from the online retailer for selling Indian flag-themed doormats. She'd threatened to stop issuing visas to Amazon officials if the products were not withdrawn from the site.
iWorld
Meta launches AI connectors for ads in open beta
Tools enable campaign creation, reporting and insights via AI platforms.
MUMBAI: If ads were once about gut feel, Meta now wants them run on autopilot with AI riding shotgun. The company has unveiled its Meta ads AI connectors in open beta, a move aimed at embedding campaign creation, management and analysis directly into the AI tools advertisers already use. The push reflects a broader shift in digital advertising: from platform-led workflows to AI-assisted, cross-tool execution.
At the heart of the rollout are Meta’s ads model context protocol (MCP) server and a command line interface (CLI), which together allow advertisers to securely link their ad accounts to AI agents. The promise is straightforward real campaign data, not generic prompts, powering decisions across workflows.
The connectors are designed to streamline multiple layers of campaign management. Advertisers can generate detailed performance reports, create and edit campaigns using natural language, manage product catalogues, and diagnose signal quality, all without leaving their preferred AI environment.
Meta is also leaning into ease of adoption. For MCP, the company says setup requires no coding, developer credentials or API integrations, positioning the tools as accessible for businesses of varying sizes and technical maturity.
The launch complements Meta’s existing AI business assistant within Ads Manager, which focuses on recommendations and troubleshooting inside the platform. The connectors, by contrast, extend that intelligence outward into third-party AI tools that marketers increasingly rely on for cross-channel planning and automation.
The underlying strategy is clear: instead of forcing advertisers deeper into its ecosystem, Meta is meeting them where they already work while still keeping its data and ad infrastructure at the core of decision-making.
As AI continues to reshape how campaigns are conceived and executed, Meta’s latest move signals a future where managing ads may feel less like operating software and more like having a conversation.
