Companies often include background props in their product imagery that serve as set dressing, but one of Govee’s decorative choices is raising some eyebrows. An eagle-eyed Verge reader spotted that two copies of a book with “White Supremacy” plastered on the spine were included in a lifestyle image on Govee’s website, in a scene that seemingly depicts a child’s bedroom.
It’s a study on White Supremacy, but another company ended up in hot water for using the same asset.
It’s a study on White Supremacy, but another company ended up in hot water for using the same asset.
You’d be forgiven for assuming that this is the result of some failed generative AI experiment, or the work of a rogue designer, but what actually led to the image being published on Govee’s website is unclear. (The image didn’t contain any C2PA and SynthID data when we checked, but that doesn’t necessarily rule out that it was generated with AI tools). A cursory look at archived versions of the website suggests the image has been live since at least April 11th 2026.
We have reached out to Govee for clarification on how this has happened. The image has since been pulled from Govee’s website shortly after we sent our inquiry.
The book in question does appear to be a real publication, however. It resembles a collection of essays titled “State of White Supremacy: Racism, Governance, and the United States.” That’s far less nefarious than presumed, but still a wildly unfortunate and questionable cover to include without such context about its content. Especially on an image that’s promoting pretty decorative lighting for a kids room? For what it’s worth, the other book in the image (titled “Another Art Book”) is also a genuine book by Jefferson Hack, despite the cover being displayed backwards.
More bizarrely, this isn’t the first time that this exact book has caused similar controversy. British hardware retailer B&Q issued an apology back in 2023 after the book was featured on its website for a radiator cover listed by a third-party vendor. B&Q said at the time that the product image “was not picked up by our screening process.”
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