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Amazon's Charity 'AmazonSmile' Funds Anti-Vaccine Groups (theguardian.com)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the donating-to-disinformation dept.

An anonymous reader quotes the Guardian: Amazon appears to be helping fund anti-vaccine not-for-profit organizations through its charity arm, the AmazonSmile Foundation. The AmazonSmile fundraising program -- through which Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price of a shopper's Amazon transactions to an organization of their choice -- is promoted on the websites of four prominent anti-vaccine organizations... Numerous other anti-vaccine organizations are also listed by Amazon as eligible for the donations.

Amazon's donations are just the latest example of how US tech companies have -- wittingly or not -- helped to promote and finance the anti-vaccine movement... Not-for-profit organizations are key players in the anti-vaccine movement in the U.S.

29 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. 40 years ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    We did not used to have to advertise vaccines, and embark on huge censorship campaigns about them. What happened?

    1. Re:40 years ago by GameboyRMH · · Score: 5, Insightful

      40 years of generously giving these nutjobs a seat at the debate table under the "marketplace of ideas" school of thought, and then social media connecting these sparsely spread nutjobs together and giving them a megaphone.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    2. Re:40 years ago by GameboyRMH · · Score: 3, Funny

      A few years ago? They've been getting far too much attention since at least the late '90s, although that's around the time that shameful fraud Andrew Wakefield kicked this trainwreck into high gear.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    3. Re:40 years ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Remember when the flat earth nutters had a bubble in the late 80s? This feels a lot like that. It is definitely not what it appears to be on the surface. There is something else at play here.

      Maybe it is an effect of the opiates. 80's coke gave us flat earthers and 00's opiates gave us vaccine obsession?

      It's like something Philip K. Dick would write.

    4. Re:40 years ago by omnichad · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The vaccines worked too well. There's very little living memory of just how bad these diseases were or the relative risk compared to potential vaccine complications.

    5. Re:40 years ago by BranMan · · Score: 1

      My most pessimistic thought:

      Philip K. Dick was an optimist.

  2. Must be a 501(c)(3) charity by jfdavis668 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    To receive donations, the organization must be a 501(c)(3) public charitable organization. If these groups get approved by the IRS for this status, it would be hard for Amazon to stop it.

    1. Re:Must be a 501(c)(3) charity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Bullshit, they could remove it from the options of their system on a whim. The 501 status has nothing to do with whether or not Amazon offers that option, it's at their own discretion entirely.

    2. Re:Must be a 501(c)(3) charity by DeVilla · · Score: 1

      I wonder if Humble Bundle and others "donate" to anti-vaxxer just because their customers are anti-vaxxers? I know a lot of places started letting you donate a part of your price to any 501c3 of your choice. My guess is the company gets the write off instead of you.

      I don't support the anti-vax crowd since an inherited allergy forces me to depend on the herd immunity for the 'R' in MMR. (So get your vaccinations! Fortunately my kids are good, but I'm counting on you!) Still, if I understand right, I suspect the right answer here is to blame Amazon's customers and not Amazon for the contributions. That or blame Amazon for taking contibutions for anything. I don't want a large company to choose who gets to be a charity and who doesn't. It's like Walmart when they were deciding who got to sell music.

  3. This is what happens by bferrell · · Score: 1

    When:

    a.) a 501c3 is issued without vetting
                  AND
    b.) a 5013c certification is simply accepted without looking into it who/what is behind it.

    If the system allows it, it NOT the users fault. Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you should. Go fast. Break things.

    1. Re:This is what happens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So you think the government and/or near-monopolies should be in the business of deciding which organizations are charitable, based on their opinions on policy matters?

      Wanna bet you'd be the first to cry if your favored "charity" was blocked for such?

  4. Re:Hate Groups by bferrell · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe because anti-vaxer stupidity has triggered extremely dangerous outbreaks of disease?

    Just a thought.

  5. Well, customer stupidity is good for business by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is just one instance where this becomes glaringly obvious. Personally, I would not mind so much that a lot of people are complete morons. But the anti-vaxxers do harm others and that is not acceptable.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:Well, customer stupidity is good for business by gtall · · Score: 2

      I see you never heard of herd immunity. By the way, babies before 1 yr do not get the measles vaccine. Better hope one your sprogs doesn't get measles before their first birthday.

    2. Re:Well, customer stupidity is good for business by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But the anti-vaxxers do harm others and that is not acceptable.

      You see this argument a lot. What it leaves is the question of why you don't trust the vaccine you got?

      First, the measles vaccine is known to "only" be 97% effective. Second, there are children too young to be vaccinated and third, some people cannot be vaccinated because of medical issues. Also, herd immunity for Measles is at 93...95%, so there is not a lot of margin. Also, who said they would harm me? I find it completely unacceptable that some people have the arrogance to endanger others without any good arguments on their side. I think we need these restrictions on non-vaccinated (by choice) people as well, for example no access to public places like schools, restaurants, shops, etc.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    3. Re:Well, customer stupidity is good for business by gweihir · · Score: 1

      I was being sarcastic. And I may have confused threads, my apologies if so.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  6. And if they block "your choice"... by WoodstockJeff · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... it kind of defeats the "charity of your choice" nature of the program. "Your choice of the charities we approve of" isn't what they advertise.

    1. Re:And if they block "your choice"... by JaneTheIgnorantSlut · · Score: 1

      Many employers offer to deduct charitable contributions from your pay automatically, but they generally offer only a select list of charities they will handle.

    2. Re:And if they block "your choice"... by Gavagai80 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If I choose to have Amazon donate to the charitable wing of Islamic State (which kills fewer Americans than anti-vaxxers), then they should?

      --
      This space intentionally left blank
    3. Re:And if they block "your choice"... by WoodstockJeff · · Score: 3, Informative

      Islamic State isn't a legal charity in the US, so it wouldn't qualify on that basis.

    4. Re:And if they block "your choice"... by DeVilla · · Score: 1

      Wow! ISIS got a 501c3? Who's watch was that under?

  7. Re: Block Amazon & here's how to do it... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    What the hell are you talking about? Virtually all of the anti-vax movement is against MMR.

    The entire movement started with a paper written by an unscrupulous doctor who was paid by lawyers for find something the could sue MMR vaccine manufacturers for and he basically tortured kids with repeated rectal examinations and other procedures. Then he claimed the kids' sudden onset of unusual behavior was caused by the vaccine (because there's no way kids would act differently after being forcibly anal probed by a doctor, after all).

  8. Re:You're asking for censorship... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Nobody asked what a moron would do or what a moron wants in terms of grammar or numbers, you don't matter to the discussion nor the reality. Sorry, FTFY.

    Anti-vax is an unpopular political alignment that Amazon does not wish to be publicly associated or seen supporting. Once they realize they are supporting that, they have a decision to make one way or another.

    Doing nothing = complicit with the accusation that they support it. That has costs.

    Basic shit, sorry you're so confused about numbers and grammar but that's not related.

  9. Re:You're asking for censorship... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    found the anti-vaxer

    skip the simpering attempt to appear neutral, just come out and say it

    when you can't even own your beliefs from an AC account, you basically confirm the stereotype that anti-vaxers are either morons or grifters

  10. Re: Hate Groups by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Nutters. Simply nutters.

  11. Do you hear yourself??? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Bullshit, they could remove it from the options of their system on a whim.

    Holy shit are you even listening to your own words.

    Yes they could remove anything "on a whim". So maybe someone who works there decides to remove pro-gay charities "on a whim". Or a charity giving aid to refugees...

    Once you start doing things "on a whim" it ends badly for everyone.

    What is you damage that you even care if these groups get money? Don't like it, contribute or form a pro-vaccination group and get out the word! Don't start blocking out everything you personally find wrong or crazy for anyone else to view.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re: Do you hear yourself??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The damage is that kids can die or be horribly hurt when *other* peopleâ(TM)s kids arenâ(TM)t vaccinated. This isnâ(TM)t a speech issue, itâ(TM)s a public health issue.

  12. Re:Let me take a shot by gtall · · Score: 2

    You think that spiel is a troll? Now go back and try to do it right.

  13. Then choose a different charity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So look through the list of other charities and there's tons of good ones...a bunch of schools often use Smile to help fundraise.
    If you don't know a good charity I know I can recommend a small school northern MN - Vermilion Country School. It's a small school in a rural area trying to provide different experiences for students who don't get a lot of options. Donation funding goes towards school supplies and field trips.