Looking at the business behind pseudoscientific disinformation, we see that disseminators of online medical disinformation are hypocritical anti-capitalists. Despite regularly attacking the “pharmaceutical mafia” and Big Pharma, they obtain tremendous profits both directly (through website advertisements and clicks) and indirectly (through promotion of pseudoscientific medical products). Thus, the editors of medical disinformation websites are neither victims of deception nor “useful idiots.”They are instead motivated by financial interests, making disinformation the best marketing tool possible. Fake news sells best.
Many clickbait and disinformation websites that spread pseudoscientific content and medical disinformation generate much of their revenue through advertisements. Previous studies have revealed how profitable the dissemination of disinformation might be. For example, despite promises to filter anti-vaccine content, tech companies generate up to $1 billion a year in advertising and other revenue through their support of the anti-vax industry (CCDH 2020).