New “Buycott” App Launched

A new app has been launched which will tell shoppers if the product being considered was made by a Koch Brothers corporation or if its makers have opposed labeling requirements.

“When you use Buycott to scan a product, it will look up the product, determine what brand it belongs to, and figure out what company owns that brand (and who owns that company, ad infinitum),” a description of the product states on Buycott’s website. “ It will then cross-check the product owners against the companies and brands included in the campaigns you’ve joined, in order to tell you if the scanned product conflicts with one of your campaign commitments.” The campaigns set up on the app include Avoid Koch Industries, which targets companies linked to the billionaire Koch brothers, who, the page’s description notes, have “spent $61.4 million fueling climate change denialism” since 1997.

 Among the Koch products are Brawny paper towels, Dixie Cups, and Quilted Northern toilet tissue.