Crowdfunding platform suspends QAnon accounts

The crowdfunding platform Buy Me a Coffee said on Monday that it had suspended all known accounts associated with QAnon figures following an investigation by Media Matters for America (MMFA).

Jijo Sunny, Buy Me a Coffee’s CEO and co-founder, said in a statement to MMFA—a media watchdog group—that the company had taken action against the accounts while emphasizing that they “strongly condemn hate groups.”

The QAnon conspiracy theory, which has since become something of a movement, has been linked by the federal government to various violent events in the United States, including the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Among the fraudulent beliefs pushed by the movement are that Democrats and celebrities are part of a global Satanic child sex-trafficking ring, as well as debunked claims regarding COVID-19 vaccines and false narratives about the 2020 presidential election being rigged against former President Donald Trump.

Media Matters senior researcher Alex Kaplan wrote on Friday that Buy Me a Coffee had become “a notable revenue stream for QAnon figures seeking to monetize their promotion of the dangerous conspiracy theory.” According to the company’s research, QAnon figures have raised more than $195,000 combined from Buy Me a Coffee before its five percent transaction fee.

Buy Me a Coffee’s terms of use prohibit posting false or misleading information or anything that is “unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, deceptive, fraudulent…or is otherwise inappropriate.”

In his statement to MMFA, Sunny outlined the efforts his company has taken in trying to prevent individuals like QAnon backers from using Buy Me a Coffee.

“We strongly condemn hate groups and have a moderation team who take them down on a daily basis, even before they make any money,” Sunny wrote. “This is sometimes overridden when people pretend to be someone else to raise money. We will continue to be extra cautious and take action as soon as it’s noticed or reported.”

Kaplan told Newsweek on Monday that it’s “a positive sign that Buy Me a Coffee acknowledged and acted on QAnon and far-right figures violating its established rules.”

He added, “However, it is concerning that it was not aware these extremists’ accounts were congregating on the platform and making significant money off of it until Media Matters’ reporting. This is another example of platforms playing whack-a-mole when it comes to effectively enforcing policies against extremism.”

The analysis by MMFA of Buy Me a Coffee covered activity on the platform going back to early 2022 and found at least 27 people associated with QAnon had been raising money on the site. In addition to those accounts, Media Matters recorded more than 240 donor posts that included variations of the QAnon slogan, “Where we go one, we go all.”

Among those found to have accounts on Buy Me a Coffee was Charlie Freak, who is connected to the “QAnon JFK Dallas cult” that believes former President John F. Kennedy is not really dead and will return to reinstate Trump as president.

Another known QAnon influencer who had used the crowdsourcing company was Liz Crokin, who has promoted the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory that falsely contends the Clinton family was part of a sex-trafficking ring that ran through a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant. In December, Crokin was photographed with Trump during a fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

MMFA reported that in addition to QAnon figures, a number of white nationalists have also raised money using Buy Me a Coffee.

“For years we’ve seen far-right groups and individuals use crowdsourcing tech platforms to fundraise,” Wendy Via, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE), told Newsweek in an email. “It’s alarming that groups are so often able to evade detection even when rules are in place until pointed out by civil society.”

Via continued, “Buy Me a Coffee certainly did the right thing by deplatforming the accounts associated with QAnon, especially when there are those who would refuse. But all tech companies need to be more vigilant in identifying bad actors before their platforms become the vehicle for funding dangerous schemes.”

Newsweek reached out to Buy Me a Coffee via email for comment.