AmazonSmile donated more than $40,000 to anti-vaccine groups in 2020

[marmar]

(Guardian UK) Amazon’s charitable program is paying tens of thousands of dollars to anti-vaccine groups in a move experts say is “shocking” as millions of Americans remain unvaccinated in the face of another Covid-19 wave.

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.

“That’s really shocking,” said Peter Hotez, dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. “That’s incredible that Amazon is supporting those groups.” ...................(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/dec/15/amazonsmile-donations-anti-vaccine-groups

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Then they will have to limit

What organizations can be registered for Smile.

I would hate to see the program go away. One Touch Charities and Metropolitan Maltese Rescue receive my donations.

[jimfields33]

7. Yeah. I like the program.

I send mine to wounded warriors. I think they have quite a few who support them through smile.

[Tree Lady]

15. I like it too, give to my local planned parenthood

Its a way you can have them give your beliefs. So really the money given is by people who believe that.

[Ms. Toad]

2. These donations are buyer-directed.

You sign into Amazon smile before you make a purchase, and a few pennies of your purchase go to the charity of your choice.

So Amazon's role is limited to allowing the charity in their roster of charities.

[csziggy]

5. Exactly - I selected Planned Parenthood as the charity of my choice

Amazon did not select the charity that my purchases support. I don't remember if they offered a list of charities or if I entered Planned Parenthood and they told it was on their lists.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

9. Oh, maybe I'll switch mine

I have been sending to Freedom From Religion Fund for the past couple years.

[csziggy]

11. That is a good cause - I should donate to them

But at the time I made my choice Planned Parenthood was at the top of my mind. I also send contributions monthly to PP.

[LisaL]

3. Amazon customers pick the charity they want to support.

This article makes it sound as if amazon did it on its own.

[BComplex]

8. True. I donate to Media Matters through Amazon.

I would donate to the most liberal cause I could find.

[Captain Zero]

18. Mine is the ACLU.

For some reason it goes to your state ACLU, BUT that's ok.

[mcar]

4. The customers are choosing the charities

This headline suggests that Amazon is directing the donations, which is misleading.

[msfiddlestix]

6. I just used Amazon Smile to donate to a non profit I want to support

I was was under the impression that t's the customer that donates, Amazon Smile is the portal.

I noticed a bunch of great organizations and a number of bad organizations. Project Verita (sp?) was one of them, but there were other really bad ones too.

So I have mixed feelings about this issue. It seems Amazon Smile should use some measure of desecration imo. But I can see the problem with discrimination. But surely, a line needs to be drawn?

I also spotted the Heritage Foundation.

[randr]

10. Amazon allows members to choose where their donation percentage goes

Given that they should have some control over who is eligible.

[pinkstarburst]

12. The more they exclude

The more they exclude the more groups we support will be cut as well.

Someone mentioned that their smile contributions go to Planned Parenthood. I think that's great. Mine go to a charity that supports special ed students. I don't agree with anti-vaxxers, but I wouldn't supporting Planned Parenthood to be taken away as an option, either.

[48656c6c6f20]

13. Oh thank God.

I thought I had missed the Wednesday Amazon hit piece. Can't wait till tomorrow's slamming of Amazon and the obligatory Elon is great response. Wait a minute...

[AZSkiffyGeek]

14. It got buried under the "Amazon directed a tornado to kill their employees" articles nt

[yellowdogintexas]

16. my Amazon Smile $ go to Cave Research Foundation

If I understand the way this works, donations are directed to a group or entity by the user, not by Amazon itself.

I plugged CRF into the form and it was immediately set up for me. All that was necessary was for AmazonSmile to determine CRF is a legitimate non profit.

[marybourg]

17. Not once in the linked article

was the customer-directed nature of Amazon’s charity program mentioned. That is why I don’t consider the Guardian to be a legitimate source of news. ( Ironically, after the article, the Guardian then goes on to beg for money for itself!)