Online trolls force closure of pro-vaccine Ontario business website

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A new website that was set up to provide Ontarians with a list of businesses with fully vaccinated staff or that require customers to show proof of vaccination has shut down, citing online attacks from a small contingent of anti-vaxxers.

SafeTO-Do went live just last week, alongside a Twitter account that announced new additions to the website. It was created by Brandon Mattalo, a Toronto lawyer who works mostly in commercial litigation on a freelance basis.


Mattalo announced in a lengthy Twitter thread Tuesday night that he is shutting down the website. He previously said in an interview earlier this week that he has received messages from people opposed to the use of face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19.

He also said he's heard from those opposed to vaccines and the concept of a vaccination passport, which is a document that is proof that the holder has received two doses of vaccine.


"Whenever I add a new business, there is a group of people (a small minority), who attack those businesses by leaving fake Google reviews, making false bookings at their restaurants, and sending hateful messages to them," he wrote.

"I cannot, therefore, in good conscience continue to add businesses to the website, because I cannot be certain that they will not be attacked by the same people."