The platform is criticized for delivering hateful, violent speech, for which it – like Parler – has been banned from most Big Tech companies that serve as front doors on the Internet. As a result, Gab has had trouble getting its platform running smoothly during the recent influx.
Parler appears to be close to returning online after Amazon Web Services launched on January 10th. The website contained a message from Parler CEO John Matze on Sunday night, in which he said: ‘We will solve any challenge before us and plan to welcome you all back soon. We will not let the civil conversation go! “
Founded in 2016, Gab branded itself as the ‘social speech network’ with a mission to ‘defend, protect and preserve freedom of speech online for all people’, according to its website description.
The platform looks like a mix of Twitter (TWTR) and Facebook (FB) and users can post the content it defines as ‘gabs’ of no more than 300 characters. But unlike mainstream social media networks, Gab contains virtually no moderation of the content that users post.
Gab also has a pro-subscriber level, a retail store and its own browser extension “Dissenter” which creates the owner of comment system.
“We believe that the future of online publishing is decentralized and open,” reads the platform’s website. “We believe that users of social networks should be able to control their social media experience on their own terms, rather than the terms laid down by Big Tech.”
According to April 2020, according to the annual report of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Gab reported 1115,000 cumulative registered accounts and 3.7 million monthly visitors worldwide.
Why is it controversial?
Gab’s lax approach to content has given way to a bunch of QAnon conspiracy theories, misinformation and anti-Semitic comments on the platform, amid a lot of bad hatred and racist posts – many of which will not be allowed in today’s famous social programs. (although mainstream social networks also have their own problems moderating extremism).
One exception: Gab blocks posts that include ‘illegal activities, threats of violence, doxxing, pornography, child exploitation and spam’, which Gab says claims to act to ‘prevent and remove’.
The controversial messaging program is also home to prominent conservative voices such as Richard Spencer and Alex Jones, some of whom have been banned from more common social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
After Twitter banned President Trump, White House officials considered getting the president an account over Gab. That is, until Jared Kushner dismissed the idea due to anti-Semitic speech on the network.
Why is it banned?
Gab first launched a public inquiry into the discovery in 2018 that the alleged shooter from the Pittsburgh Synagogue used the network to threaten and target Jews. The suspect’s profile contains the message: “I can not sit with me and watch my people being slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going inside,” before I allegedly killed 11 people in the Tree of Life synagogue.
Gab noted in a statement in 2018 that he “unequivocally denies and condemns all acts of terrorism and violence.” It also said it suspended the bill and contacted the FBI.
It was forced to go offline following the shooting after being banned by online payment processors, PayPal (PYPL) and Stripe with domain registrar GoDaddy and website hosting service Joylent over hate speech infringement.
Despite efforts by Big Tech companies to close the network, Gab has managed to stay online. The site is now under another domain registrar, Epik, who welcomed the platform in 2018.
Who owns Gab?
Gab was founded by Andrew Torba, an entrepreneur from Trump, who describes himself as a “conservative Republican Christian.” Torba, who previously worked in Silicon Valley, created the alternative network in response to reports that social platforms like Facebook are biased against conservatives.
“I did not want to build a ‘conservative social network’, but I felt it was time for a Conservative leader to act and provide a forum where anyone could speak freely without fear of censorship, ‘Torba said. told the Washington Post in 2016.
“Every major communications point, every major social network, is managed, owned, controlled and managed by progressive leaders, progressive workers in Silicon Valley,” he told The Post.
What’s next for Gab?
Gab is now facing a call from the Anti-Defamation League for a criminal investigation to determine whether the platform “intentionally helped, conspired or led” those who attacked the Capitol on January 6.
The anti-hate group noted in an open letter on Wednesday that there was at least one report that Gab users were ‘exchanging directions for what streets to take to avoid the police and what tools to help cut doors open’ .
The ADL also quoted Torba’s posts telling users “on their way to DC” to “record footage in landscape mode while filming” and “document as much as possible.” It further mentions Torba’s message on the day of the attack, in which he says: “in a system with difficult elections, there are no more viable political solutions.”
In response, Gab called for an investigation into Facebook, where protests were organized. The company also said it was immediately halting a series of newly created accounts directing threats of violence at public officials.
“We have been working diligently with law enforcement and for several weeks warning our community about this behavior and acted swiftly to remove it from our platform in the weeks leading up to the January 6 protests,” Torba said in a statement. “Our moderation and legal teams are working tirelessly to ensure the safety of the public. Threats of violence and illegal activities find no place on Gab.”
Gab claims the ADL is striving for it because Gab, unlike Parler, stays going. In a statement to CNN, Torba said that hate speech “is not real” and is protected by the first amendment to the US Constitution.
“The ADL has NO POWER over Gab and therefore they hate us,” Torba said. “We will never bow to their demands and will never censor legitimate, 1A-protected speech, which harms the ADL’s feelings. Ever. Jesus is King.”
