AmazonSmile reportedly donated more than $40,000 to leading sources of vaccine misinformation in 2020, according to separate analyses by Popular Information and the Washington Post.
Last year, Amazon donated more than $60m to nonprofits. The portion of anti-vaccine funding is small compared to the full amount, but it may be significant to the fundraising efforts of groups with relatively small budgets.
Hate groups and terrorism groups are banned from the program. But in the past, AmazonSmile also reportedly funded anti-LGBTQ groups.
Amazon is also a commerce platform for anti-vax T-shirts, herbal supplements, and other products. Over the summer, customers posted reviews of ivermectin as a potential treatment for Covid, despite warnings from public health agencies that the deworming medication is not effective against the respiratory virus.
Hotez agreed.
