Amazon Prime Video is helping spread misinformation through conspiracy videos

18 Jun Amazon Prime Video is helping spread misinformation through conspiracy videos

The Telegraph has an interesting report that highlights a growing problem for video streaming providers: the increasing amount of conspiracy videos peddling often-debunked narratives on services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The report specifically focuses on Prime Video and notes how paying subscribers get access to conspiracy videos by the likes of Alex Jones and David Icke. Jones is notorious for saying the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting was a false flag operation to help impose gun control in the U.S.–and the half-dozen videos Amazon Prime hosts of his include ideas like the Obama administration was backed by the New World Order to “attempt to con the American people into accepting global slavery.”

Other videos offered on Prime Video include anti-vaccine conspiracy videos. Critics of such conspiracy videos argue that by appearing on paid-for services such as Netflix and Prime Video the services are lending the videos a sense of accuracy and authenticity as they are available alongside respected, fact-driven documentaries. That’s opposed to the conspiracy videos appearing on a place like YouTube, where viewers know anyone can upload almost anything they want. Of course, if Amazon and Netflix yank the videos from their service, conspiracy peddlers could say that is just another part of the conspiracy to suppress the information their bogus videos are peddling.

Source: Fast Company