Some anti-vaccine proponents profit from newsletters

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - As social media platforms deal with pressure to ban some providers over what they say are misinformation campaigns regarding COVID-19 vaccines, others may be profiting from the fallout.

The most recent case in the news began with musician Neil Young, protesting against content on Spotify.

When it comes to anti-vaccine newsletters, reports from the group “Center for Countering Digital Hate” says they can be huge money makers, not just for the platforms, but for the host authors as well.

The center reports one email platform, Substack, raked in $2.5 million last year on anti-vax newsletters that have been banned on some other platforms over claims they’re spreading misinformation.

The platform earns 10 percent of the subscription price, but the author earns the rest, and some of the letters have thousands of paid subscribers.

Substack, for its part, says it defends its authors’ rights to freedom of speech.