Low-rated McDonald's reviews and compassionate merchandise: Corporations attempt to suppress online advocacy for CEO's assassination
The term could be connected to a 2010 book scrutinizing the healthcare insurance sector, titled "Delay, Deny, Defend." This title is widely used to describe the industry's strategies. This phrase could be found on various merchandise sold on Amazon, including hats, t-shirts, and pint glasses.
The individual under investigation has gained empathy and internet fame, in part, due to public discontent with the healthcare insurance industry. A significant number of insured adults in the U.S., as per a June 2023 survey conducted by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research organization, had encountered at least one issue with their health insurance within a year. These issues included rejected insurance claims.
Amazon has withdrawn the merchandise from their website due to violating their company policies, according to a source with knowledge of Amazon's decision-making process. It's unclear how many purchases were made of items featuring the phrase.
Despite Amazon's action, "deny, defend, depose" merchandise continues to be available on eBay. The phrase itself doesn't violate eBay's rules, but "items celebrating or inciting violence, such as those commemorating the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited," a spokesperson for eBay informed CNN.
On Monday, Luigi Mangione was taken into custody by police as the main suspect in Thompson's murder. A police spokesperson told CNN that Mangione had a written document stating, "these leeches deserved it," and expressed ill will towards corporate America.
Mangione was spotted at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and a McDonald's employee reported him to the police. In response, the McDonald's location on Google and Yelp has received an influx of negative reviews, branding the workers as "rats" and "informants."
One review on Google, spotted by Reuters, accused the establishment of having rats in the kitchen that could make customers sick, and alleged that their insurance wouldn't cover it. Commenters continue to add negative reviews to the McDonald's location's profile page. Google hasn't yet responded to comments.
Yelp also disabled commenting on the McDonald's location's page, citing the need to investigate whether the content reflects actual consumer experiences or is merely a reaction to the recent events.
The murder has sparked divided responses online. A Facebook post by UnitedHealth Group expressing sadness over the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson garnered 62,000 reactions, 57,000 of which were laughing emojis. UnitedHealth Group is the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, the division Thompson headed.
"Limited access to care due to denied claims has always been a source of frustration," commented Kaye Pestaina, KFF's director of the Program on Patient and Consumer Protections.
The controversy surrounding the healthcare insurance industry has led to numerous business opportunities, with merchandise like hats, t-shirts, and pint glasses featuring the phrase "Delay, Deny, Defend" being popular among disgruntled consumers.
Despite the term "Delay, Deny, Defend" being commonly associated with the healthcare insurance sector, it's important to note that actions seen as celebrating or inciting violence towards individuals or corporations are not tolerated in most online marketplaces.
