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AmazonSmile, Amazon’s Charity Arm, Is Helping to Fund Anti-Vaccination Groups

AmazonSmile is promoted on the websites of four prominent anti-vaccine organizations.

Amazon is helping fund anti-vaccine organizations through its charity arm, the AmazonSmile Foundation, The Guardian reports. AmazonSmile is promoted on the websites of four prominent anti-vaccine organizations: National Vaccine Information Center, Physicians for Informed Consent, Learn the Risk, and Age of Autism. Amazon allows customers to donate 0.5 percent of their purchase price to an organization of their choice through AmazonSmile. Numerous anti-vaccine organizations are listed by Amazon as eligible for the donations, including American Citizens for Health Choice, National Health Freedom Coalition, Michigan for Vaccine Choice, Texans for Vaccine Freedom, A Voice for Choice ,and the Informed Consent Action Network.

The donations are just the latest example of tech companies helping the anti-vaccination movement. Facebook’s platform has been used to circulate anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, with little resistance from the social network. And Facebook and YouTube users searching for information about vaccines are being steered toward anti-vaccination theories of dubious scientific value that are designed to frighten parents of young children.

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