Amazon, EBay Still Peddling Plenty Of QAnon Merchandise, Months After Other Retailers Pulled Back
QAnon supporters were among those who stormed the U.S. Capitol. It’s still plenty easy to buy … [+]
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Products promoting the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon are still readily available for purchase through major online retailers like Amazon and eBay after rioters carrying markers of the group stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
A quick search on Amazon reveals nearly 1,000 products, including hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts, masks, flags, stickers and jewelry tied to QAnon, which, among other theories, asserts that President Trump is being undermined by a cult of Satan worshippers. There are another 600 results that pop up for WWG1WGA, a slogan the group has adopted that stands for “Where we go one we go all.”
Amazon’s policy governing third-party sellers states that the sale of “products that promote, incite or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views” are prohibited. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On eBay, there are about 200 products related to the search term QAnon. For instance, there’s a pack of stickers selling for $22 that has a Q emblazoned on the front and is advertised as a way to show support for the president’s failed 2020 re-election bid. Its seller policy prohibits “listings that promote or glorify hatred, violence, or discrimination.” The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The conspiracy theory has made its way from the fringe corners of the internet into the mainstream in recent months and its supporters were seen in photographs and videos among the pro-Trump mob that rampaged through the Capitol Wednesday. Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot and killed in the halls of the building, often posted about QAnon on her Twitter account. Another man, seen in widely-circulated photographs wearing a hat with fur and horns and a painted face, has also been identified as a QAnon supporter.
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Other retailers had taken action before the election to restrict the sale of merchandise promoting the conspiracy theory. In October, Etsy said it would remove all merchandise tied to QAnon from its marketplace because its seller policies prohibit “items that promote hate, incite violence, or promote or endorse harmful misinformation.” A search of the site now shows that they have mostly taken down such listings, although a handful still appear.
Shopify, which powers websites for more than one million independent online businesses, had also previously worked to restrict merchants from selling QAnon products. In September, it disabled websites like QAnonMerch.net and TheBookofQAnon.com, saying the products sold violated its acceptable use policy. This week it went farther, taking down two online storefronts affiliated with President Trump. “Shopify does not tolerate actions that incite violence,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Walmart and Target do not currently sell any merchandise on their websites related to QAnon, either. However, neither company responded to a request for comment on whether that was because of an explicit ban.
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