EBay Says It Will Pull QAnon Merchandise From Its Site

Products promoting the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon will no longer be permitted on eBay’s site, the company said on Friday evening, after rioters carrying markers of the group stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

“At eBay, we have a strict policy against hate and discrimination to ensure our platform remains a safe, trusted and inclusive environment for our global community of buyers and sellers,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Forbes. “Any merchandise glorifying violence or hate will be removed from our marketplace, this includes QAnon merchandise.”

A search on eBay currently reveals about 4,000 products, including hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers tied to QAnon, which, among other theories, asserts that President Trump is being undermined by a cult of Satan worshippers. 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.”

Products related to QAnon are still readily available for purchase through Amazon. A quick search for the term reveals nearly 1,000 products for sale, plus 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.

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.

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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