Social media site Gab, known for its popularity among far-right voices, is back online following a brief shutdown.
The website went off the internet when both its domain registrar and hosting service kicked it off their platforms for hosting anti-Jew hate speech by the alleged Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, Robert Bowers.
Hosting company Joyent and domain registrar GoDaddy followed in the footsteps of payment processor PayPal, which quickly banned transactions via the service on the site for “explicitly allowing theperpetuation of hate, violence, or discriminatory intolerance” after news of the its involvement in theshooting broke. Other services had followed suit – payment processor Stripe, blogging platformMedium, and e-commerce service Shopify all cut ties with Gab for fostering extreme rhetoric, albeit assurances by CEO Andrew Torba of his company’s commitment to working with the authorities.
Gab’s relationship with other service providers has always been problematic. Microsoft’s Azure web hosting service as well as Google and Apple’s mobile app stores previously banned Gab for its dubious usage terms while Stripe had frozen Gab’s account for not restricting adult content.
Launched in 2016, Gab intended to be an alternative to Facebook and Twitter that championed free speech in its entirety. Allowing users to post unmoderated “gabs” up to 300 characters, the non-interventionist site aimed to become a refuge for conservative, libertarian, nationalist, and populist viewpoints generally shunned by mainstream media outlets. According to The New York Times, its laissez-faire attitude towards content moderation has allowed it to become a safe haven for neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other alt-right causes.
Gab isn’t the only social media organisation under intense scrutiny for ignoring violent speech on its platform. Micro-blogging site Twitter has been accused of turning a blind eye on hateful tweets from Florida bombing suspect Cesar Sayoc that were addressed to numerous politicians and journalists even after being reported by a user.
The controversial platform is now active on Epik, a domain registrar based out of Seattle. Its CEO Robert
Monster welcomes its newest client with open arms, criticising the concept of digital censorship.
