Amazon helps fund anti
Amazon is under fire again for helping spread anti-vaccine conspiracies.
Four major anti-vaccination groups -- National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), Age of Autism, Learn the Risk, and Physicians for Informed Consent -- are raising money through the Amazon’s charity fundraising program, AmazonSmile, according to a reportby The Guardian.
Other anti-vaccine organizations such as American Citizens for Health Choice (ACHC), A Voice for Choice, Informed Consent Action Network, and the National Health Freedom Coalition are also included in the program.
Through AmazonSmile, customers can choose to donate 0.5 percent of their purchase price to a charitable group of their choice when shopping with Amazon. The fundraising initiative has donated more than $100 millionto organizations such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Doctors Without Borders, and the ASPCA since it launched in 2013.
SEE ALSO:Amazon pulls anti-vaccination documentaries from Prime VideoIt’s unknown just how much anti-vaccination groups have raised through the program. As the Guardian points out, many of these organizations have an operating budget in the five to six figures. NVIC, the largest of these nonprofits, had more than $1 million in revenue in 2017.
These groups have promoted dangerous conspiracy theoriesabout the safety of vaccinations, such as the belief that vaccines cause autism, which have thoroughly been debunked by scientists and medical professionals.
The Guardian report also uncovered how individuals within the anti-vaxxer movement are also raising money through Amazon’s Influencer program.
Amazon has recently undergone similar scrutinyover documentaries promoting the anti-vaxxer movement found on Amazon Prime. Last Friday, United States Rep. Adam Schiff sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos blasting the company for spreading misinformation about vaccines. In his letter, the congressman demanded to know what the company was going to do about the anti-vaccination content.
Anti-vaccination documentaries, such as Vaxxed: From Cover-up to Catastrophe, were later removed from Amazon Prime.
"Every online platform, including Amazon, must act responsibly and ensure that they do not contribute to this growing public health catastrophe," stated Schiff in his letter.
Last month, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms faced its own issues with the anti-vaccination movement.
A recent report uncovered how anti-vaccination conspiracies were proliferating on Facebookthrough private groups. A separate report also exposed a similar rise in anti-vaxxer content on YouTube. The company responded by demonetizing anti-vaccinationvideos on the platform.
Pinterest has possibly taken the most extreme measures against the anti-vaxxer movement of any major social media platform. The company recently started blocking searchesrelating to vaccine misinformation on its website.
Mashable has reached out to Amazon for comment and will update this post when we hear back.
UPDATE: March 5, 2019, 1:16 p.m. EST An Amazon spokesperson sent Mashable the following statement:
“Charitable organizations must meet the requirements outlined in our participation agreement to be eligible for AmazonSmile. Organizations that engage in, support, encourage, or promote intolerance, hate, terrorism, violence, money laundering, or other illegal activities are not eligible. If at any point an organization violates this agreement, its eligibility will be revoked. Since 2013, Amazon has relied on the US Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Southern Poverty Law Center to help us make these determinations.”
UPDATE: July 29, 2019, 1:36 p.m. EDT A lawyer from Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC) has contacted Mashable to dispute characterization of their organization as "anti-vaccination." Per the lawyer, PIC is "ethically opposed to the coercion of vaccination." The organization is "pro-informed consent" for vaccinations; their objection is to "vaccine mandates."
Mashable uses the label "anti-vaccination" to refer to groups that question the safety and effectiveness of vaccinations, and/or advocate for non-medical exemptions to vaccination. Per PIC's website, "PIC’s vision is to live in a society free of mandatory vaccination laws."
Featured Video For You
In the fight against measles, UNICEF has found an unexpected ally – mobile phones
(责任编辑:产品中心)
- Tesla reveals Cybertruck has sold more than DeLorean
- Art and tears: Skate star Hanyu inspires diehard fans
- Chief Justice John Roberts looks poised to swing left in a major death
- Keep up with climate justice by following these five organizations
- 雨城区疾控中心提示:科学补碘 防治碘缺乏病
- Newborns hit new low, but births to those unmarried reach record high: data
- iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max review roundup: Apple goes big and small
- US midterm results to sideline North Korea issue: experts
- Senior diplomats of S. Korea, US, Japan hold phone talks over NK missile provocations
- How do you make safe, cheap nuclear reactors? Bury them a mile deep
- Brett Kavanaugh confirmation: Anthony Kennedy expresses hollow concern for democracy’s health.
- S. Korea's Navy retrieves debris of NK missile that flew over NLL last week
- 雨城区强化督查环保整改初检
-
I got a chance to play around with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and man, it looks like we have to completely ...[详细]
-
Parents honor first female U.S. VP
Kamala Harris just made history, and young girls everywhere are noticing.On Nov. 7, a Saturday follo ...[详细] -
What is Parler? Everything you need to know about the conservative social network.
UPDATE: Jan. 8, 2021, 6:47 p.m. PST Parler has been removed from Google's Play Store for not having ...[详细] -
Can you name the 3 branches of government? This meme offers up some, uh, creative answers.
We're all a bit exhausted and stressed right now, especially if you're sitting glued to Twitter.As w ...[详细] -
Sports minister says audits into football, badminton federations set to conclude in Sept.
Yu In-chon (right), minister of culture, sports and tourism, speaks during a plenary session for the ...[详细] -
Elon Musk sued by SEC over tweets about taking Tesla private
Popular in News & Politics What Exactly Does Nikki Haley Expect Her ...[详细] -
The San Francisco chapter of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club doesn't usually concern itself much with ...[详细]
-
[ANALYSIS] North Korean leader's daughter makes second public appearance
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un listens to his daughter Ju-ae during a photo session with military o ...[详细] -
Trump trials: Jack Smith is reportedly reconsidering his strategy.
Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts in the New York hush money case—but there’s a le ...[详细] -
Brett Kavanaugh's calendar for July 1, 1982: "go to Timmy's for skis with Judge"
More on Brett Kavanaugh Elena Kagan Headed Off Disaster While Deli ...[详细]
Tesla reveals Cybertruck has sold more than DeLorean
The allegations against Brett Kavanaugh have finally given toxic bro culture a news peg.
- Who is the Dark Wizard in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2?
- Keep up with climate justice by following these five organizations
- iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max review roundup: Apple goes big and small
- 情暖返程旅途 相约来年相聚
- Amazon Android Days sale 2024: Save on unlocked phones, tablets, and more
- 我市20余万中小学生返校
- Aurora's self